Tourism Minister Edmund Bartlett is projecting a rebound for Jamaica's cruise tourism sub-sector next year.

Pointing to the inaugural visit in May of the world's largest cruise ship, Royal Caribbean's Symphony of the Seas, Bartlett said cruise shipping over the next three years should regain the momentum from 2018. According to him, the arrival of the mega cruise liner is a signal that “happy days will be here again”.

“Jamaica is a part of the western Caribbean itinerary and once Grand Cayman sorts out the docking situation, where they would once again be able to facilitate the Royal Caribbean Oasis-class vessels, then our numbers will climb back up,” the tourism minister projected.

“The inaugural visit of the Symphony of the Seas is a solid sign that our cruise situation is about to change for the better and where our ports, including the newest addition, Port Royal, should do very well,” he added.

In the meantime, he said “Jamaica is poised to generate some US$3.7 billion in tourism earnings for 2019 and total arrivals are looking equally promising”.

Jamaica earned US$3.3 billion in 2018 from the arrival of 4.3 million visitors.

He also said the island's room stock is expected to double the current 33,000 in the next 10 years. 

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