Jamaica to Use Tax to Lure New Tourists

Jamaica to Use Tax to Lure New Tourists

Jamaica's tourism minister says a recent $10 increase in the head tax paid by incoming airline passengers will result in stronger marketing campaigns to draw visitors from emerging markets.

In a Sunday statement, Edmund Bartlett said the funds will go exclusively toward luring vacationers from markets such as Brazil, Russia, India, Mexico, Indonesia and China. He said "these countries have become the new target for our marketing team."

Bartlett says Jamaica's entry into these markets will require up to $3 million as start-up capital. In recent years, Caribbean governments have aimed marketing pitches at Canada and Europe to compensate for slippage in the U.S. market, which has long accounted for much of the region's tourism business.