Montego Bay airport adds new routes as Jamaica targets tourism growth

Sangster International Airport in Montego Bay is due to add several new air services in the coming months as Jamaica works to widen its tourism reach and improve regional access.

A new Wingo Airlines route from Medellin, Colombia, is scheduled to start this month. Shane Munroe, chief executive officer of Sangster International, said the service matters because it broadens Jamaica's source markets, deepens ties with South America and supports business and cultural exchange.

Munroe also said LIAT Air is set to begin a new service from Pointe-a-Pitre in Guadeloupe around the middle of July, a move he said will strengthen Caribbean links. Looking ahead to the winter tourist season, Breeze Airways is to start twice-weekly flights from Tampa in December, adding another connection from Florida, which remains one of Jamaica's major tourism and diaspora markets.

Further growth is also expected from Canada. Porter Airlines is preparing to roll out flights from Toronto, Hamilton and Ottawa. Munroe said the Toronto service is due in late November and will operate five times per week, while Hamilton and Ottawa are each to get twice-weekly service. He said Canada's long-standing importance to Jamaica makes the expansion significant, especially at a time when Canadian traffic has shown some softness.

On the cruise side, the government is seeking to reassure tourism interests that work is far advanced to improve ship calls in the months ahead. Speaking recently at the Jamaica Hotel and Tourist Association's 65th anniversary luncheon, Tourism Minister Bartlett said discussions now under way could significantly improve the outlook for cruise tourism in Jamaica.

He also said new ports are to be built as part of a broader effort to make the cruise industry more resilient and to create a Jamaican itinerary of its own.

Bartlett was responding to concerns from outgoing JHTA President Christopher Jarrett, who lamented the fall-off in cruise passenger arrivals. Jarrett argued that every lost ship call means less income for ordinary Jamaicans and fewer economic opportunities, and said Jamaica should not be content with strong stopover arrivals while another key part of the visitor economy continues to struggle.