The much heralded bounce in tourism traffic into Jamaica never occurred in January, with traffic down compared with last year for the same period according to data released by Grupo Aeroportuario del Pacífico operators of Jamaica’s two major international airports. Passenger traffic through Montego Bay’s Sangster International Airport, the major gateway into Jamaica decreased 7.3 percent, compared to January 2024.
In the meantime, Kingston’s Norman Manley airport enjoyed a solid 12.6 percent bounce to 167,000 passengers from 148,300 in 2024. The increase was not enough to offset the sizable fall in the country’s second city.
Sangster International accounted for 456,200, down from 491,900 last year, for a decline of 35,700 or around 18,000 visitors. Montego Bay would have seen a drop with Bascobel being serviced by daily flights out of Miami that would still not be a major factor in the decline.
The decline in January is worse than the 5.6 percent fall in December, with 467,400 passengers versus 495,000 in 2023, while Kingston slipped in 2025 from a 13.8 percent increase in December, last year to 177,400 versus 155,900 in 2023. The decline in January if it continues into other months will ripple through the Jamaican economy and linkage sectors and those dependent on them.
Passenger traffic represents incoming and outgoing individuals passing through the airports, with the monthly movements giving a strong indication of changes in tourism visitor arrivals.