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Air Mexico to fly to Jamaica
Central American airline to bring Chinese touristsBY INGRID BROWN
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
A new deal is being finalised between Jamaica and Air Mexico (AeroMéxico) for the airline to airlift tourists from Shanghai, China to Montego Bay by January of next year.
Tourism Minister Ed Bartlett told the Business Observer yesterday that the discussions are far advanced, although the frequency of the flights into the island are still being worked out.
"We met with Air Mexico last week Thursday and it was a positive discussion regarding this new arrangement between Jamaica and Mexico," he said.
According to Bartlett who returned from Mexico over the weekend, Air Mexico will be putting in place a connection between the Chinese market, since airlift has always been the main deterrent to getting visitors from that region.
"Air Mexico flies directly to Shanghai and the discussions are to create direct flights from Mexico to Montego Bay and that programme could start as soon as January of next year," Bartlett said.
Bartlett said visitors should now be able to get from China to Jamaica within a day, taking into account the connecting flight in Mexico.
"I know it will be about 13-15 hours from China and about three hours flight from Mexico to Montego Bay," he said.
The main advantage to Jamaica from this deal, according to Bartlett, will be the fact that there is no visa regime between Jamaica and Mexico.
This is unlike the United States where Chinese tourists travelling to Jamaica are required to have a United States visa to gain access to that country before continuing on to Jamaica.
"The advantage of the use of the Mexican gateway will be to facilitate the ease of travel," Bartlett said.
Since China and Jamaica signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) in 2005, the Jamaica Tourist Board (JTB) has been looking at establishing the framework for marketing Jamaica's tourism in China.
But as Jamaica competes with 61 other countries that have been granted approved destination status from China, local hoteliers are optimistic about the wealth of business to be had and insist that they are equipped to handle some of the 19 million Chinese tourists who travel worldwide annually.
Bartlett said Jamaica Vacations Limited (JAMVAC), the company that he expects to maximise the country's airlift capacity to meet growth projections of 10-15 per cent over the next five years in the area of stopover arrivals, is to continue further discussions with the airline to work out the details of how the flights will be configured.
Lionel Reid, executive director of JAMVAC who accompanied the tourism minister on the visit to Mexico, told the Observer that he could not yet comment on the stage of the discussions or the company's next move, until he reports to his board tomorrow.
Founded in 1934, Air Mexico operates over 500 daily flights to 38 destinations in Mexico and 24 destinations in the United States, Central and South America, Europe and Japan via its main hub in Mexico City.
http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/magaz...O_JAMAICA_.asp
Central American airline to bring Chinese touristsBY INGRID BROWN
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
A new deal is being finalised between Jamaica and Air Mexico (AeroMéxico) for the airline to airlift tourists from Shanghai, China to Montego Bay by January of next year.
Tourism Minister Ed Bartlett told the Business Observer yesterday that the discussions are far advanced, although the frequency of the flights into the island are still being worked out.
"We met with Air Mexico last week Thursday and it was a positive discussion regarding this new arrangement between Jamaica and Mexico," he said.
According to Bartlett who returned from Mexico over the weekend, Air Mexico will be putting in place a connection between the Chinese market, since airlift has always been the main deterrent to getting visitors from that region.
"Air Mexico flies directly to Shanghai and the discussions are to create direct flights from Mexico to Montego Bay and that programme could start as soon as January of next year," Bartlett said.
Bartlett said visitors should now be able to get from China to Jamaica within a day, taking into account the connecting flight in Mexico.
"I know it will be about 13-15 hours from China and about three hours flight from Mexico to Montego Bay," he said.
The main advantage to Jamaica from this deal, according to Bartlett, will be the fact that there is no visa regime between Jamaica and Mexico.
This is unlike the United States where Chinese tourists travelling to Jamaica are required to have a United States visa to gain access to that country before continuing on to Jamaica.
"The advantage of the use of the Mexican gateway will be to facilitate the ease of travel," Bartlett said.
Since China and Jamaica signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) in 2005, the Jamaica Tourist Board (JTB) has been looking at establishing the framework for marketing Jamaica's tourism in China.
But as Jamaica competes with 61 other countries that have been granted approved destination status from China, local hoteliers are optimistic about the wealth of business to be had and insist that they are equipped to handle some of the 19 million Chinese tourists who travel worldwide annually.
Bartlett said Jamaica Vacations Limited (JAMVAC), the company that he expects to maximise the country's airlift capacity to meet growth projections of 10-15 per cent over the next five years in the area of stopover arrivals, is to continue further discussions with the airline to work out the details of how the flights will be configured.
Lionel Reid, executive director of JAMVAC who accompanied the tourism minister on the visit to Mexico, told the Observer that he could not yet comment on the stage of the discussions or the company's next move, until he reports to his board tomorrow.
Founded in 1934, Air Mexico operates over 500 daily flights to 38 destinations in Mexico and 24 destinations in the United States, Central and South America, Europe and Japan via its main hub in Mexico City.
http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/magaz...O_JAMAICA_.asp
Paul Marin -19 is one thing, 20 is a whole other matter. It gets even worse if they win the UCL. *groan*. 
05/18/2011.MU fans naah cough, but all a unuh a vomit?-Lazie 1/11/2015
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