Jamaica’s tourist board is leveraging JetBlue’s recently launched Dublin-US routes to entice more Irish visitors to the iconic Caribbean nation.
The Caribbean island country – which is targeting 250,000 UK and Irish visitors by 2025 – has been busy redeveloping its tourism offering in the past couple of years and is redefining the northern area of the country into a luxury holiday outpost; linking Ocho Rios to Port Antonio.
The country – which was also the quickest overseas tourism destination to recover to pre-Covid levels after the pandemic (with Montego Bay the quickest resort in the world to fully recover) – was named World’s Best Cruise Destination and World’s Best Family Destination at last year’s World Travel Awards.
Jamaica is also, this year, debuting three new resort hotels – the beach-front Princess Grand Jamaica at Green Island Hanover, near Negril, which will open this June; the Princess Senses The Mangrove, an adult-only retreat in the northwest; and the Falmouth-based Hotel Riu Palace Aquarelle, which is set to open this summer.
Jamaica Tourism said: “In an exciting development for transatlantic travel, JetBlue has launched seasonal daily flights from both Edinburgh and Dublin to key US destinations, providing enhanced accessibility for holidaymakers and MICE travellers to Jamaica. Building on the success of its existing services to Dublin from New York and Boston, JetBlue is expanding its footprint in Europe by introducing new routes to Edinburgh and additional frequencies to Paris in the spring of 2024.
“These new flights mark a significant uplift in connectivity, providing travellers with convenient access to Jamaica from multiple European gateways. With the addition of direct flights from Edinburgh and Dublin to the US, travellers now have greater flexibility and choice when planning their journeys to Jamaica throughout the summer months until 30th September.”
Jamaica’s Director of Tourism, Donovan White, said: “With the addition of these exquisite hotels, expanded flight options, and thrilling tour opportunities, Jamaica continues to redefine travel. As we embrace these exciting advancements, Jamaica eagerly anticipates welcoming visitors to experience the magic of Jamaica, where every moment promises excitement and relaxation in equal measure.”
