China poised to boost Ja’s tourism with millions of visitors
Published:Monday | February 17, 2025 | 9:25 AMJanet Silvera/Gleaner Writer
WESTERN BUREAU:
As Jamaica targets five million visitors in 2025, Chinese entrepreneurs in Montego Bay, St James believe their country has the potential to supply millions of tourists to the island annually.
Historically, attracting Chinese tourists to Jamaica has been challenging due to the lack of direct flights from China. This contrasts with the Japanese market, which demonstrated significant potential in the mid-1990s.
However, with renewed enthusiasm and Jamaica’s strong ties to Chinese investors – who are involved in several multi-billion-dollar projects in Montego Bay, the nation’s tourism hub – there is growing optimism about China’s role in the country’s tourism expansion.
Shifu Huang, operator of Harbour City Mall and chief financial officer of LCH Developments, believes China has millions of tourists eager to explore new destinations.
“By working together on direct flights and tourism marketing, we can bring many Chinese visitors to experience Jamaica,” Huang stated during a large gathering at the Chinese Spring Festival on Sunday.
GROWTH IN ARRIVALS
The event, which marked the beginning of the Chinese New Year, was held at The Pinnacle Montego Bay on the Bogue Peninsula in St James.
Huang, an investor in The Pinnacle – a 28-storey luxury residential and hotel development featuring four towers, including two hotels – expressed his vision for a modern Jamaican economy by 2030. He emphasised that each Chinese investment, project, and partnership brings Jamaica and China closer to achieving their shared development goals.
Jamaica has already seen growth in arrivals from China. In 2016, the country recorded a 2.2 per cent increase in stopover arrivals between January and April, reaching 773,108 visitors compared to the same period in 2015.
This growth was partially driven by a rise in Chinese visitors, with 3,254 Chinese tourists arriving in the first four months of the year – a five per cent increase over the previous year, according to the Jamaica Tourist Board.
At the time, the Jamaica Hotel and Tourist Association (JHTA) identified China as one of the fastest-growing outbound travel markets, noting that Jamaica stood to benefit as Chinese tourism expenditure increased globally, fueled by a strengthening yuan.
The renewed optimism regarding Chinese tourism is shared by Delano Seiveright, senior advisor and strategist in the Ministry of Tourism. Speaking at Sunday’s celebration, Seiveright highlighted the transformation of Montego Bay’s skyline, particularly with The Pinnacle development.
“Montego Bay is currently the fastest-growing city in the English-speaking Caribbean, driven by rapid tourism expansion and strategic infrastructural developments,” Seiveright noted.
He pointed out that in 2024, Jamaica welcomed approximately 4.2 million visitors, generating an impressive US$4.3 billion in tourism revenues. This strong performance places the country on track to achieve its ambitious ‘5x5x5’ tourism targets – aiming for five million annual visitors in the near future.
The Pinnacle is expected to play a key role in this growth, adding a modern, cosmopolitan touch to Montego Bay’s evolving cityscape. Designed to attract high-net-worth individuals and luxury travelers, the development is set to establish new standards for upscale residential living in the region.
Seiveright praised the collaboration between LCH Developments Limited and its Chinese investors, commending their shared vision of a vibrant and contemporary Montego Bay that integrates luxury, innovation, and cultural richness.
“As we usher in the Year of the Snake, we anticipate continued prosperity, growth, and innovation in Jamaica’s tourism and real estate sectors,” he said.
“Developments like The Pinnacle exemplify our commitment to progress, ensuring Montego Bay remains at the forefront of the Caribbean’s tourism renaissance.”