Janet Silvera, Senior Tourism Writer 
Tourism Minister Edmund Bartlett (right) greets Americans Allen (left) and Irina (second left) Shvartsman of Philadelphia, USA, the first visitors for the 2007/2008 Winter Tourist Season, when they arrived in December. Tourist arrivals are at record levels in February. - File
WESTERN BUREAU:
Although traditionally a soft week in stopover arrivals, the first seven days of February have outperformed all previous years in the country's tourist industry, recording a 17.1 per cent increase over 2007.
The positive trend follows preliminary statistics showing record numbers during January, with just under 135,000 tourists visiting the island's shores last month, an elated Minister of Tourism Edmund Bartlett told The Sunday Gleaner.
"This is usually the week when everything is soft. The big week is really next week," the minister noted, adding that if the trend continues, February will be the biggest month ever for tourist arrivals in the country's history.
Strategic advertising
Pointing to a strategic advertising campaign in the United States and Europe, as well as the introduction of new rooms as contributing variables to the increase in visitors, Bartlett said these have been complemented by the "enormous work by chains such as SuperClubs, Sandals, Sunset Resorts and the elegant resorts, including Half Moon and the Ritz-Carlton Rose Hall".
In addition, he said the Jamaica Tourist Board was on a big drive to increase airlift out of Europe, Canada and the US, and a series of meetings has been set up with a number of airlines and the revamped JAMVAC (Jamaica Vacations), which is chaired by John Lynch.
Explaining that Canada continues to play a pivotal role in the increase in business, Minister Bartlett said that market remains extremely strong and is the top performer in terms of percentage boost, "while the US is coming back solidly".
Up until August last year, the stopover arrivals were down 10 per cent out of the US, but the island ended the year with a significant recovery.
