In a historic move, the Jamaica Tourist Board (JTB) made its inaugural participation at SATTE 2024, South Asia’s premier travel and tourism event. Held from 22 to 24 February 2024 at the India Expo Mart, Delhi NCR, this strategic endeavor underscores Jamaica’s commitment to fostering and fortifying tourism relationships within India’s vibrant tourism industry.
Following the resounding success of the Jamaica Product Exchange 2023 (JAPEX), Jamaica’s premier in-person trade event post-pandemic, the JTB’s presence at SATTE 2024 signifies the pivotal role of India as a key source market for travel to Jamaica. At JAPEX 2023, the Jamaica Tourist Board hosted six esteemed travel agents from India, offering them immersive destination experiences showcasing the island’s diverse product offerings.
The Indian market presents boundless opportunities for outbound travel growth. The JTB is actively exploring avenues to enhance tourism activities within India and among the Indian diaspora, spanning Canada, the US, and the UK. With a burgeoning market for weddings, the convergence of cricket, a rapidly expanding middle and upper-middle-class demographic, improving flight connectivity, and a vibrant Indian community in Jamaica itself, the stage is set for exponential growth from this increasingly lucrative market.
During SATTE 2024, visitors to the JTB Booth were treated to an enticing array of Jamaica’s world-class hotels, invigorating spa and wellness offerings, thrilling adventure activities, and much more. Travel trade professionals delved into leisure travel opportunities while gaining insights into the island’s rich culture, renowned attractions, culinary delights, and enticing business travel incentives within the MICE space. India remains a pivotal market for Jamaica, and the JTB’s presence at SATTE served as a prime opportunity for the island destination to engage with the Indian travel fraternity.
Commenting on Jamaica’s momentous debut at SATTE 2024, Donovan White, Director of Tourism of Jamaica, expressed, “India is an emerging market that Jamaica intends to leverage to increase our arrivals and earnings. It represents vast potential for cultural exchange, and we eagerly anticipate showcasing our diverse offerings and warm Jamaican hospitality.”
The tourism sector in Jamaica celebrated a landmark year in 2023, with visitor arrivals surpassing figures from both 2022 and the pre-pandemic record set in 2019. The Jamaica Tourist Board reported approximately 4.1 million travelers visiting the country in 2023, marking a remarkable 16 percent increase from the previous year and a notable 7.5 percent surge compared to the visitor count in 2019.
SATTE (South Asia’s Travel & Tourism Exchange) serves as a comprehensive platform for domestic and international buyers and professionals across the travel, tourism, and hospitality sectors, alongside National and State Tourism Boards (NTOs and STOs). Recognized as Asia’s premier travel and tourism exhibition, SATTE facilitates business transactions, knowledge sharing, and idea exchange to drive industry growth.
In addition to its participation at SATTE 2024, Jamaica recently hosted the second Global Tourism Resilience Conference at the Montego Bay Convention Centre from February 16 to 17. Organized in collaboration with the Global Tourism Resilience and Crisis Management Centre (GTRCMC), the event featured panel discussions, networking opportunities, presentations, and lively debates on matters of building resilience in tourism.
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