Tourism Arrivals from Latin America to Jamaica Hit Record High

The Jamaica Tourist Board is reporting a strong 2011 in tourism arrivals from the Latin American region with a record 23.4 percent increase in stopover arrivals compared to 2010. Last year, Jamaica welcomed more than 16,000 Latin American visitors with the majority coming from markets such as Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Mexico and Panama.

In December alone, Jamaica recorded a 36.6-percent increase in visitor arrivals, attributable in part to the new airlift from Copa Airlines, which started that month. The Jamaica Tourist Board also credits the increase to the lifting of visa restrictions for travelers from Panama, Venezuela, and Colombia. Expectations are that this will result in continued growth from this market in 2012.