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Jamaica celebrates fifth year of Canadian tourist growth
Published: Sunday | April 19, 2009
Janet Silvera, Senior Gleaner Writer
Visiting from Canada, this father-and-son trio, (from left) Howard Pitch, Geoffrey and William, prepares to enjoy fireworks at the Iberostar Resort in Rose Hall, Montego Bay, last year. - File
WESTERN BUREAU:
DESPITE THE current economic challenges afflicting the global travel and tourism industry, Canada continues to outpace Jamaica's other source markets, except the United States (US), solidifying double-digit growth for the island's number-one foreign exchange earner - tourism.
Tourist arrivals from the North American country at the end of February were at a 23 per cent increase over 2008. Preliminary figures show March even more bullish, confirming Canada in second-place ranking as the most important tourism market for Jamaica.
Canadian visitors from Saskat-chewan led the increase with 63.8 per cent growth, followed by a dramatic 89.6 per cent growth in visitors from Newfoundland. There was also an increase in visitors from Western Canada, with 32.7 per cent growth in British Columbia and 29.7 per cent growth in Alberta.
Ontario and Quebec continue to make up the majority of visitors to Jamaica, and each grew steadily with an 18.1 per cent and a 35.9 per cent increase, respectively, a Jamaica Tourist Board (JTB) press release reported.
23.9 per cent increase
Hofer
The record numbers come at a time when Jamaica is celebrating its fifth straight year of growth in visitor arrivals from Canada, with a 23 per cent increase in 2008 (45,543 more visitors than in 2007). This is a banner year in which tourism partners added more flights out of traditional key markets, including Toronto and Montreal - among them the launch of the first direct flight from Vancouver.
Tour operator partnerships, diligent efforts by the JTB and Jamaica Vacations are being credited for the current success, according to JTB's regional director in Canada, Sandra Scott.
"Support for our partners has allowed them to expand flights across Canada from Vancouver in the west to Halifax in the East," disclosed Scott in response to a number of questions posed by The Sunday Gleaner. "We have a team of JTB reps who visit as many travel agents as possible each year to spread the news on new hotels and attractions."
According to her, Jamaica's profile has been elevated through numerous public relations efforts (such as bringing morning show Canada AM) to Jamaica for a week, supplemented by targeted advertising programmes to potential Canadians travellers.
This, Scott said, has resulted in an influx of visitors from places such as Alberta and British Colombia, complemented by the feeder provinces, Ontario and Quebec, which supply the majority of Canadian visitors to Jamaica.
More still expected
And, although the industry may experience challenges in 2009 because of the economic outlook, Scott, in a media release in February, said she was still expecting to welcome many more Canadians to Jamaica for the first time or returning for another visit.
High on the list of preferences for the Canadian tourists is the all-inclusive package, research has shown.
"The cost of airline travel makes it difficult for Canadians to travel without a package; however, many Canadians do enjoy villas and boutique hotels and tend to try and explore Jamaica as much as they can," explained Scott.
All-inclusive giants, such as Sandals Resorts Inter-national, and the newer kids on the block, RIU Resorts and Iberostar resorts, are big players in the Canadian market.
"Canadian business has increased significantly over the last winter season. With the increase in airlift there has been a new wave of Canadian travellers," states Iberostar's managing director, Philipp Hofer.
Hofer said that of his three local resorts, the 366-room Iberostar Rose Hall Beach is the most popular among the Canadians, adding that "it is budget conscious while offering a range of activities, quality, and consistency for both adults and children".
In addition, the adults-only Iberostar Grand Hotel Rose Hall which opened in January has shown excellent acceptance over the last months and has generated higher bookings than expected. The hotel chain, he said, is now rated number one and two in Montego Bay and number two in Jamaica by the Trip Advisor publication.
Others reaping
Jamaica is not the only country with bragging rights; the rest of the Caribbean is reaping from the buoyancy in the Canadian market. Tourist arrivals to the region steadily increased in 2008 from the previous year. With a total of nearly 2.5 million Canadian visitors, the Canadian tourism market accounted for an outstanding 14 per cent growth overall, the Caribbean Tourism Organisation (CTO) reported.
"Canadians have been long-time supporters of the Caribbean and have nearly doubled their tourism numbers to the region since 2005," said Hugh Riley, interim secretary general of the CTO and co-chief executive officer for the Caribbean Tourism Development Company. "The latest statistics underscore the importance of Canada as one of the Caribbean region's top tourism markets."
Published: Sunday | April 19, 2009
Janet Silvera, Senior Gleaner Writer
Visiting from Canada, this father-and-son trio, (from left) Howard Pitch, Geoffrey and William, prepares to enjoy fireworks at the Iberostar Resort in Rose Hall, Montego Bay, last year. - File
WESTERN BUREAU:
DESPITE THE current economic challenges afflicting the global travel and tourism industry, Canada continues to outpace Jamaica's other source markets, except the United States (US), solidifying double-digit growth for the island's number-one foreign exchange earner - tourism.
Tourist arrivals from the North American country at the end of February were at a 23 per cent increase over 2008. Preliminary figures show March even more bullish, confirming Canada in second-place ranking as the most important tourism market for Jamaica.
Canadian visitors from Saskat-chewan led the increase with 63.8 per cent growth, followed by a dramatic 89.6 per cent growth in visitors from Newfoundland. There was also an increase in visitors from Western Canada, with 32.7 per cent growth in British Columbia and 29.7 per cent growth in Alberta.
Ontario and Quebec continue to make up the majority of visitors to Jamaica, and each grew steadily with an 18.1 per cent and a 35.9 per cent increase, respectively, a Jamaica Tourist Board (JTB) press release reported.
23.9 per cent increase
Hofer
The record numbers come at a time when Jamaica is celebrating its fifth straight year of growth in visitor arrivals from Canada, with a 23 per cent increase in 2008 (45,543 more visitors than in 2007). This is a banner year in which tourism partners added more flights out of traditional key markets, including Toronto and Montreal - among them the launch of the first direct flight from Vancouver.
Tour operator partnerships, diligent efforts by the JTB and Jamaica Vacations are being credited for the current success, according to JTB's regional director in Canada, Sandra Scott.
"Support for our partners has allowed them to expand flights across Canada from Vancouver in the west to Halifax in the East," disclosed Scott in response to a number of questions posed by The Sunday Gleaner. "We have a team of JTB reps who visit as many travel agents as possible each year to spread the news on new hotels and attractions."
According to her, Jamaica's profile has been elevated through numerous public relations efforts (such as bringing morning show Canada AM) to Jamaica for a week, supplemented by targeted advertising programmes to potential Canadians travellers.
This, Scott said, has resulted in an influx of visitors from places such as Alberta and British Colombia, complemented by the feeder provinces, Ontario and Quebec, which supply the majority of Canadian visitors to Jamaica.
More still expected
And, although the industry may experience challenges in 2009 because of the economic outlook, Scott, in a media release in February, said she was still expecting to welcome many more Canadians to Jamaica for the first time or returning for another visit.
High on the list of preferences for the Canadian tourists is the all-inclusive package, research has shown.
"The cost of airline travel makes it difficult for Canadians to travel without a package; however, many Canadians do enjoy villas and boutique hotels and tend to try and explore Jamaica as much as they can," explained Scott.
All-inclusive giants, such as Sandals Resorts Inter-national, and the newer kids on the block, RIU Resorts and Iberostar resorts, are big players in the Canadian market.
"Canadian business has increased significantly over the last winter season. With the increase in airlift there has been a new wave of Canadian travellers," states Iberostar's managing director, Philipp Hofer.
Hofer said that of his three local resorts, the 366-room Iberostar Rose Hall Beach is the most popular among the Canadians, adding that "it is budget conscious while offering a range of activities, quality, and consistency for both adults and children".
In addition, the adults-only Iberostar Grand Hotel Rose Hall which opened in January has shown excellent acceptance over the last months and has generated higher bookings than expected. The hotel chain, he said, is now rated number one and two in Montego Bay and number two in Jamaica by the Trip Advisor publication.
Others reaping
Jamaica is not the only country with bragging rights; the rest of the Caribbean is reaping from the buoyancy in the Canadian market. Tourist arrivals to the region steadily increased in 2008 from the previous year. With a total of nearly 2.5 million Canadian visitors, the Canadian tourism market accounted for an outstanding 14 per cent growth overall, the Caribbean Tourism Organisation (CTO) reported.
"Canadians have been long-time supporters of the Caribbean and have nearly doubled their tourism numbers to the region since 2005," said Hugh Riley, interim secretary general of the CTO and co-chief executive officer for the Caribbean Tourism Development Company. "The latest statistics underscore the importance of Canada as one of the Caribbean region's top tourism markets."
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