Minister of Tourism Edmund Bartlett says he is pushing for Jamaica to have 500,000 visitors from Canada by 2025.

He said that this forms part of the Government’s overarching goal to welcome five million visitors and earn US$5 billion in tourism revenues by 2025.

“Canada is our third largest market, and we are currently at just above the 300,000 mark and getting to where we were in 2010 when we had up to 400,000 visitors coming from Canada. My projections are driven by data, and I have evidence now that the Canadian market is ready to take us to half a million visitors within the next two years,” Bartlett outlined.

Bartlett shared that he will soon visit Canada, where he will oversee a five-day ‘winter marketing blitz,’ part of Jamaica’s efforts to establish connections with vital travel partners in the Greater Toronto Area.

During his visit, the tourism minister will meet with executives from Canada Jetlines, who recently announced flights from Toronto to Montego Bay twice a week, starting in November.

After he visits Canada, Bartlett will travel to Saudi Arabia, where he will celebrate World Tourism Day 2023 with other global tourism leaders.

World Tourism Day is observed on September 27.