In remarks made as part of Jamaica’s Tourism Awareness Week September 26 through October 2, Minister of Tourism the Hon. Edmund Bartlett is urging all citizens to get vaccinated against COVID-19 in order to save lives and continue driving the island’s economic recovery.

The health and safety of all visitors and locals continues to be Jamaica’s top priority. Earlier this month, the island launched a vaccination drive to facilitate administration of the vaccines island-wide with a series of voluntary vaccination blitzes at strategic sites across the country. This drive is an extension of the groundbreaking JAMAICA CARES program, a nationwide response to COVID-19 that includes the island’s Resilient Corridors and comprehensive health and safety protocols.

Jamaica’s Resilient Corridors, which cover more than 85 percent of the island’s tourism product and include less than one percent of the population, have recorded an infection rate of less than one percent over the past year. This clearly demonstrates the success of the program, which is the only one of its kind in the Caribbean. It provides a secure environment for visitors to enjoy the tourism product while eliminating direct contact with the majority of the local population.

Jamaica remains open for travel and continues to welcome visitors safely. It’s health and safety protocols were among the first to receive the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) Safe Travels recognition that allowed the destination to safely reopen to travel in June 2020. The island has also recently announced additional airlift from key source markets and ninety percent of planned tourist investments remaining on track.

For more information on Jamaica, please go to visitjamaica.com.