Jamaica’s pristine beaches, unique culture and renowned music scene are calling to travellers from the Middle East.
That's the message from the Caribbean country as it made its debut at the Arabian Travel Market in Dubai this week.
The island nation has seen a strong recovery since Covid-19, with tourist numbers back at about 80 per cent of pre-pandemic levels. The expectation is that these numbers will surpass 2019 levels in 2023, said the Edmund Bartlett, Minister of Tourism for Jamaica, on the sidelines of the travel event.
Travellers keen on visiting the holiday hotspot can now book flights to Kingston and Montego Bay with Emirates. Operated by the airline’s codeshare partners, flights go via New York to the tropical archipelago.
“Tourism’s essence is connectivity — if people don’t travel then there’s no tourism and the means to travel by air is still number one. For Emirates to insert Jamaica in its ticketing system so people can actually begin to travel from Dubai to Jamaica through a US gateway is a major achievement,” Bartlett tells The National.
“If you were to follow the astronaut Armstrong when he landed on the moon, it was a single step for him but it was a huge step for mankind. This is a simple step, but it’s a huge step for Caribbean and Jamaica tourism. The objective in time is to get critical mass and then eventually to get Emirates direct flights,” says Bartlett.
For now, Emirates continues to promote Jamaica through curated Emirates Holidays where travellers can book flights and hotels to the island as a package.
Jamaica as a summertime escape
With year-round appeal, Jamaica could appeal to GCC travellers as a summer destination.
“Although winter for the cooler countries is the preference because it's nice and warm in Jamaica, summer is also useful because we do not have extreme summer temperatures. It is a good place to escape from the heat here in the Middle East and in other parts of Europe and Asia,” says Bartlett.
And there are no worries when it comes to travel restrictions, as there are no mandatory requirements other than those set by the airlines.
“What we’ve done is removed the mandatory requirements, we’ve removed all the emergency measures and the mandates are gone, but we’re insisting that you are responsible.”
Famed for its crystalline waters, soulful cuisine and with a soundtrack all of its own, Jamaica also guarantees a warm welcome to travellers, according to tourism officials.
“The iconic attraction of Jamaica is the people; our people are special and unique. Many countries can boast of having a confluence of cultures and ethnicities, but Jamaica is perfect in this because we have inbuilt in our DNA, a respect for diversity and embracing of other cultures.”
“We don’t regard ourselves as a piece of geography, we regard ourselves as a great idea and we say that a little piece of you is in Jamaica.”
How has net migration to UK changed?
The figure was broadly flat immediately before the Covid-19 pandemic, standing at 216,000 in the year to June 2018 and 224,000 in the year to June 2019.
It then dropped to an estimated 111,000 in the year to June 2020 when restrictions introduced during the pandemic limited travel and movement.
The total rose to 254,000 in the year to June 2021, followed by steep jumps to 634,000 in the year to June 2022 and 906,000 in the year to June 2023.
The latest available figure of 728,000 for the 12 months to June 2024 suggests levels are starting to decrease.
'Joker'
Directed by: Todd Phillips
Starring: Joaquin Phoenix
Rating: Five out of five stars
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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The White Lotus: Season three
Creator: Mike White
Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell
Rating: 4.5/5
Analysis
Maros Sefcovic is juggling multiple international trade agreement files, but his message was clear when he spoke to The National on Wednesday.
The EU-UAE bilateral trade deal will be finalised soon, he said. It is in everyone’s interests to do so. Both sides want to move quickly and are in alignment. He said the UAE is a very important partner for the EU. It’s full speed ahead - and with some lofty ambitions - on the road to a free trade agreement.
We also talked about US-EU tariffs. He answered that both sides need to talk more and more often, but he is prepared to defend Europe's position and said diplomacy should be a guiding principle through the current moment.
How to get there
Emirates (www.emirates.com) flies directly to Hanoi, Vietnam, with fares starting from around Dh2,725 return, while Etihad (www.etihad.com) fares cost about Dh2,213 return with a stop. Chuong is 25 kilometres south of Hanoi.
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Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Essentials
The flights
Etihad (etihad.ae) and flydubai (flydubai.com) fly direct to Baku three times a week from Dh1,250 return, including taxes.
The stay
A seven-night “Fundamental Detox” programme at the Chenot Palace (chenotpalace.com/en) costs from €3,000 (Dh13,197) per person, including taxes, accommodation, 3 medical consultations, 2 nutritional consultations, a detox diet, a body composition analysis, a bio-energetic check-up, four Chenot bio-energetic treatments, six Chenot energetic massages, six hydro-aromatherapy treatments, six phyto-mud treatments, six hydro-jet treatments and access to the gym, indoor pool, sauna and steam room. Additional tests and treatments cost extra.
