Travel Agents Say: MoBay Is Okay!

Although the state of public emergency in St. James Parish of Jamaica, which includes the popular resort destination of Montego Bay, has been extended until May 2, many top selling Jamaican specialists across Canada are reporting that it’s very much business as usual, reports CTP’s assistant editor, Ann Ruppenstein, who’s just returned from a week on the island.

“I had a group stay in Runaway Bay who came back less than two weeks ago and they had a fantastic time and didn’t feel any kind of threat,” Sharon Boissonneault, a top selling Jamaica vacation agent, of Maison de Voyages Montréal told Canadian Travel Press.

And Boissonneault continued: “I also had some clients staying at the Secrets in MoBay the last week of January and everything went very smoothly, and they’re returning with a group in May. My colleague is there with a group right now staying at the Royal Decameron Cornwall Beach, and he informed me that everything is under control.”

Despite the additional security measures, which came into effect on Jan. 18 to curb an increase in violent crimes in the parish, arrivals to Jamaica rose 6.7% for January compared to 2017, and between Jan. 22-25, reports indicate stopover arrivals at Sangster International Airport in Montego Bay were up by 12.1% over the same period in 2017.

“I want to remind everyone that Jamaica continues to enjoy the enviable statistic of being the second safest destination for tourists in the Caribbean,” says Philip Rose, regional director – Canada of the Jamaica Tourist Board, likening the security checkpoints in the region to that of a ride program. “We continue to be a very safe destination, and the current enhanced security measures will only serve to make us even more safe, even more secure and facilitate a seamless vacation experience for all our visitors.”

For the full story, check this week’s digital edition of Canadian Travel Press.