US Market to attract 5million visitors by 2030
Pictured: Minister of Tourism, Edmund Bartlett (L) pauses for a photo opportunity with (L-R) Justine Henzell, Laura Henzell, Jason Henzell and Philip Rose, Deputy Director of Tourism, The Americas, following a successful media briefing in New York on Thursday October 9, 2025.
KINGSTON; Jamaica; Friday October 10, 2025 — Minister of Tourism, Hon. Edmund Bartlett, has completed the first phase of a Global Marketing Blitz, setting ambitious new Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) for Jamaica’s top three source markets — the United Kingdom, Canada, and the United States — to guide tourism growth through 2030.
The blitz began at the Jamaica Travel Mart in London, where the UK target was set at 500,000 visitors and £500 million in earnings over the next five years. It continued in Toronto, with 600,000 visitors and USD $750 million projected from the Canadian market, and concluded in New York City, where the goal for the U.S. market — Jamaica’s largest — was confirmed at 5 million visitors (stopover and cruise) and USD $6 billion in earnings by 2030.
“This Global Marketing Blitz marks the beginning of a transformative journey for Jamaica’s tourism industry,” said Minister Bartlett. “We are not only targeting higher arrivals and earnings but building a stronger, more inclusive, and more resilient tourism economy.”
The next phase will target South America, including Argentina, Chile, Colombia, and Panama, followed by engagements in the Middle East and Europe early next year. Jamaica’s new overall tourism KPIs for the next five years is to welcome 8million visitors and earn US10billion.
Minister Bartlett noted that the initiative aligns with Jamaica’s carrying capacity development program, designed to expand high-value, luxury experiences and increase local ownership through the new ‘Local First’ policy. A task force, led by Minister of State Hon. Tova Hamilton, will drive this effort to ensure broader Jamaican participation in tourism’s supply chain.
“The industry must evolve from extractive to be more inclusive,” the Minister added. “Our people must be at the center of tourism’s growth.”
Director of Tourism, Donovan White, said the JTB is ready to strengthen partnerships with airlines, travel agents, and tour operators to achieve these targets, while Deputy Director of Tourism, Americas, Philip Rose, welcomed the new KPIs as a key driver of growth from the U.S. market.
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