Tourism Minister Edmund Bartlett said he did not expect the imminent United States recession to have an adverse effect on the country's tourist industry any time soon.

Speaking to journalists during a recent press briefing at the Ministry of Tourism, Knutsford Boulevard in New Kingston, Bartlett said the sector had seen significant growth since the start of the year, recording possibly "the best February ever" .

Pointing to a strategic advertising campaign in the US and Europe, as well as the introduction of new rooms as contribu-ting variables to the increase in visitors, the minister said he was projecting even further growth for the remainder of 2008.

"We do not see ourselves hurting significantly or even at all from this immediate tremor in the US. We believe that in the long term, however, we will, but not at this time," he said.

Long-haul visits

"The recession that is happening in the US is going to affect firstly long-haul visits. So out-bound traffic to Europe, the Middle East and the far-flung areas are going to be the first to be affected," said Bartlett.

He further stated that the Caribbean and the closer destinations would be among the last to be affected by the possible depression.

"Jamaica continues to enjoy access to more gateways in the US than any other country in the Caribbean. We have a strong diaspora, which contributes much to our out turn from the US," Bartlett said.

Aggressive campaigns

He also said his team would be working to move aggressive campaigns, mainly in Eastern Europe, in a bid to continue diversification efforts away from the US market.

"We will be moving to develop new air-service agreements with a number of countries. In fact, we are to conclude a deal with Mexico," he said.

Bartlett said he also had plans to target Spain and Brazil.

He said his recent trip to Berlin was fairly successful as he was able to conclude arrangements with a number of airlines to increase airlifts out of Europe for this year.

"Air Berlin and Lufthansa are to feed from most of the gateways into LTD and Condar into Jamaica so we've made those critical connections," he said. "Volare Air is to fly from Rome to Italy and Lauda Air to start services from Milan as well as Vienna and Zurich and we have chartered services out of Russia and the Ukraine," the minister added.