Pictured: Minister of Tourism, Hon Edmund Bartlett, (C) and President of George Brown College, Dr. Gervan Fearon, 2^nd R, pause for a photo opportunity ahead of the Canadian-Caribbean Tourism Resilience Symposium: Co-Designing the Next Decade. Sharing in the moment are L-R: Dr.Tyrone Hall, Head of Brookfield Sustainability Institute, Office of Research & Innovation, George Brown University, Fiona Fennell, PR and Communications Manager, Angella Bennett, Regional Director, Canada, Jamaica Tourist Board, Marsha Lobban, Jamaica’s High Commissioner to Canada and Professor Lloyd Waller, Global Director of the Global Tourism Resilience and Crisis Management Centre.

TORONTO; Canada; Wednesday August 5, 2026 – Jamaica’s second largest source market is poised for further growth with approximately 400,000 seats that will be available from Canada to Jamaica for the 2026/2027 winter season. This marks a significant expansion of airlift from the Canadian market. The increase is driven by expanded service from long-standing airline partners Air Canada and Sunwing, together with new non-stop service from Porter Airlines, underscoring sustained confidence in Jamaica as a leading warm-weather destination for Canadian travellers.

The added capacity comes as Jamaica continues to strengthen its position as Canada’s preferred Caribbean destination, offering more choice, more frequency and more direct routings from key Canadian gateways into the island’s two major airports. “This expanded airlift from Canada is a direct vote of trust and confidence in Jamaica’s tourism product and in the strength of our partnerships with Air Canada, Sunwing, WestJet and now Porter Airlines,” said the Hon. Edmund Bartlett, Jamaica’s Minister of Tourism.

Canada remains one of Jamaica’s top-performing source markets, and the additional seat capacity is expected to play a critical role in helping the destination reach its ambitious 2030 goals under the Tourism 3.0 framework: 600,000 annual visitor arrivals from Canada and US$750 million in tourism earnings from the market. “Reaching 600,000 annual visitors and US$750 million in earnings from Canada by 2030 requires the kind of sustained airlift growth we are seeing today,” said Donovan White, Director of Tourism.

The new Porter Airlines service adds a further option for Canadian travellers, joining Air Canada, Flair, Transat, Caribbean Airlines and Westjet in offering enhanced connectivity between Canada and Jamaica this winter. The JTB continues to work closely with airline partners, travel agents and tour operators across Canada to convert this added capacity into sustained visitor growth and broaden Jamaica’s appeal across key Canadian markets, including Toronto, Montreal, Ottawa, Edmonton, Halifax, Moncton, St. John, Winnipeg and Hamilton.

“The expanded winter airlift builds on Jamaica’s broader strategy of diversifying and strengthening airlift across its top source markets, reinforcing the destination’s resilience and positioning within a competitive global tourism landscape,” said Angella Bennett, Regional Director, Canada, Jamaica Tourist Board.

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ABOUT THE JAMAICA TOURIST BOARD  

The Jamaica Tourist Board (JTB), founded in 1955, is Jamaica’s national tourism agency based in the capital city of Kingston. JTB offices are also located in Montego Bay, Miami, Toronto and London. Representative offices are in Berlin, Madrid, Milan, Amsterdam, Mumbai, Tokyo and Paris.

Jamaica is home to some of the world’s best accommodations, attractions and service providers that continue to receive prominent global recognition. In 2025, TripAdvisor® ranked Jamaica as the #13 Best Honeymoon Destination, #11 Best Culinary Destination, and #24 Best Cultural Destination in the World. In 2024, Jamaica was declared ‘World’s Leading Cruise Destination’ and ‘World’s Leading Family Destination’ for the fifth consecutive year by the World Travel Awards, which also named the JTB the ‘Caribbean’s Leading Tourist Board’ for the 17th consecutive year.

Jamaica earned six Travvy Awards, including a gold for ‘Best Travel Agent Academy Program’ and silver for ‘Best Culinary Destination – Caribbean’ and ‘Best Tourism Board – Caribbean’. The destination also received bronze recognition for ‘Best Destination – Caribbean’, ‘Best Wedding Destination – Caribbean’, and ‘Best Honeymoon Destination – Caribbean’. Additionally, Jamaica received a TravelAge West WAVE award for ‘International Tourism Board Providing the Best Travel Advisor Support’ for a record-setting 12th time.

For details on upcoming special events, attractions, and accommodations in Jamaica, go to the JTB’s Website at www.visitjamaica.com or call the Jamaica Tourist Board at 1-800-JAMAICA (1-800-526-2422). Follow the JTB on Facebook, X, Instagram, Pinterest and YouTube. View the JTB blog at www.visitjamaica.com/blog/.