Visitor arrivals to Jamaica this year increased by nearly seven per cent up to the end of last month.

Tourism Minister Ed Bartlett says this has resulted in earnings of $1.1 billion or nearly five per cent more than the earnings for the corresponding period last year.

Addressing the inaugural meeting of the Tourism Competitiveness Taskforce at his ministry’s New Kingston offices, Bartlett said up to the end of May Jamaica had welcomed 1.7 million visitors to the island.

He says Jamaica has seen a fall-off in visitor arrivals from Canada.

As a result, Bartlett says new marketing programmes will be developed for this market.

He says programmes will be put in place to boost stopover visitors.