Tourism growth flounders will hit GDP

The Jamaican economy is set to suffer a major setback in the second quarter with tourist traffic to the island falling according to preliminary data of visitor traffic through the country’s two international airports.
Passenger traffic through Sangster’s International Airport in Montego Bay in June slipped marginally from 448,500 last year to 447,400 which dragged the six months performance to an increase of just 3.2 percent to 2,742,400 from 2,656,800 in 2023, while Kingston Norman Manley dipped 2.2 percent to 144,400 from 147,700 in 2023, and declined 2.3 percent to 810,600 from 829,500.
While the critical arrivals grew attractively in the first quarter, data released by Grupo Aeroportuario Del Pacífico shows Montego Bay enjoying an 8 percent rise with Kingston flat, Montego Bay suffered a 4.2 percent fall in April and was effectively flat in May. Kingston was down7.7 percent in April and 1.1 percent in May. The decline affects the sector and will spill over into support industries such as transportation, agriculture, manufacturing and utilities and also affect communities that cater to the sector.