Standing Finance Committee: Tourism earnings to reach US$3.6 billion

The Government is projecting gross earnings of US$3.6 billion from the tourism industry in the upcoming fiscal year, which starts on April 1.

Further, Tourism Minister Ed Bartlett says Jamaica expects to welcome a total of 4.58 million visitors during the 2019-2020 fiscal year.

This includes 2.87 in stop-over visitors and 1.7 million in cruise passengers.

Bartlett was speaking in Gordon House today as the Standing Finance Committee of Parliament examine the budgetary allocation made to the tourism ministry and the agencies that fall within its remit.

The projected gross earnings for the upcoming fiscal year is slightly higher than the US$3.3 billion expected at the end of the current fiscal year, which ends on March 31.

This year's expected gross earnings from the tourism industry is eight per cent higher than last year.

Bartlett says Jamaica is set to record 2.7 million stop-over arrivals at the end of the current fiscal year, 6.2 per cent more than last year, and cruise arrivals of 1.8 million, a decline of 8.2 per cent.

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