New long-term strategy focuses on expanded air connectivity, sustainable growth, workforce development, and enhanced tourism infrastructure to transform Jamaica into a global tourism powerhouse.
Jamaica has announced an ambitious new tourism growth strategy aimed at attracting 10 million annual visitors and generating USD 10 billion in tourism earnings over the next decade, marking a significant new chapter in the Caribbean nation’s journey towards becoming one of the world’s leading sustainable tourism destinations.
The announcement follows a strong performance by Jamaica’s tourism sector in the first quarter of 2026, during which the island welcomed more than one million visitors and generated approximately USD 956 million in tourism revenue, demonstrating continued resilience and growing international demand for the destination.
The new roadmap, branded as the “10x10x10 Vision,” was unveiled by Jamaica’s Minister of Tourism, Edmund Bartlett, and builds on the success of the country’s previous tourism development strategy, which surpassed its targets by delivering 4.5 million visitor arrivals and USD 4.3 billion in tourism earnings within just four years.
At the heart of the new strategy is Tourism 3.0, a transformative framework that redefines tourism success beyond visitor numbers and revenue generation. The approach places greater emphasis on empowering tourism workers, supporting local communities, strengthening cultural preservation, and ensuring that the economic benefits of tourism are more widely distributed throughout Jamaican society.
“Now it is time for reimagining. Tourism 3.0 represents a new direction for Jamaica — one that places as much attention on the people behind the tourism experience as the visitors who come to enjoy it,” said Edmund Bartlett.
Major Investment in Hotel Infrastructure
To accommodate future visitor growth, Jamaica is advancing a USD 5 billion hotel development pipeline that is expected to add between 15,000 and 20,000 new hotel rooms over the next five to ten years. The expansion will significantly enhance the country’s accommodation capacity and support its long-term visitor growth ambitions.
Currently, approximately 80 per cent of Jamaica’s hotel room inventory is operational, with the destination expecting full recovery and restoration of accommodation capacity by early 2027.
Strengthening Global and Regional Air Connectivity
Aviation connectivity remains a key pillar of Jamaica’s growth strategy, with airlines expanding services from major source markets including Canada, Latin America, and the United Kingdom.
Additional flights from Canada to Montego Bay are expected to introduce nearly 5,000 extra seats during the winter travel season, while expanded services from other international markets will further improve accessibility to the island.
Jamaica is also placing greater emphasis on regional aviation integration and will host the Caribbean Tourism Organisation’s Air Connectivity Summit in Kingston in February 2027. The event will bring together aviation leaders, tourism authorities, airlines, and industry stakeholders to explore strategies for improving inter-Caribbean and international connectivity.
Empowering the Travel Trade and Future-Ready Tourism
Recognising the influential role of travel professionals in driving destination demand, the Jamaica Tourist Board has announced plans to introduce a dedicated incentive programme for travel advisors, strengthening partnerships with the global travel trade community.
Donovan White, Director of Tourism, highlighted the importance of travel specialists in achieving the country’s ambitious visitor targets.
“We can never underestimate the power of our travel specialists who champion Jamaica every day to global consumers. To achieve this new target, we will be leaning on them even more to attract these numbers to the destination,” White said.
Beyond visitor growth, Jamaica’s future tourism agenda will continue to prioritise investments in digital transformation, workforce development, sustainability initiatives, and community-based tourism, ensuring that growth remains inclusive, resilient, and environmentally responsible.
With its “10x10x10 Vision,” Jamaica is positioning itself for a new era of tourism expansion. By combining increased air connectivity, world-class hospitality infrastructure, stronger travel trade partnerships, and a people-centred development model, the Caribbean destination aims to establish a sustainable blueprint for tourism growth over the coming decade.
