New flights from Switzerland, Poland to bring thousands to Jamaica

Jamaica is set to welcome thousands more European visitors this year as new flights from Portugal and Switzerland are lined up to commence June and November, respectively, according to Tourism Minister Edmund Bartlett.  

The news came as Minister Bartlett, and a team comprising Senior Advisor and Strategist Delano Seiveright and Director of Tourism, Donovan White attend the 45th staging of the International Tourism Fair (FITUR), one of the world’s leading travel and tourism tradeshows.

European charter airline World2Fly will commence weekly non-stop charter flights between Lisbon, Portugal and Montego Bay, Jamaica starting June of this year.

World2Fly told Jamaican officials that their Portugal/Jamaica flights are already over 50 percent sold. The airline is using a new Airbus A350 aircraft with 432 seats.

 Meanwhile, Swiss scheduled airline, Edelweiss will double to two flights per week between Zurich, Switzerland and Montego Bay, Jamaica starting November of this year. Edelweiss is using an Airbus A340 aircraft with 314 seats. Edelweiss is a Swiss leisure and charter airline and the sister company of Swiss International Air Lines and a subsidiary of Germany's Lufthansa Group. 

The latest development comes after news that following the annual strategic meeting with Inverotel, one of the largest Spanish hotel investment groups, Minister  Bartlett has negotiated better labour market arrangements for the backbone of Jamaica's tourism sector - its dedicated workforce.

FITUR draws tens of thousands of participants and attendees from across the globe, provides a crucial platform for international tourism stakeholders to showcase their offerings, foster new business relationships, and explore future opportunities.

Minister Bartlett noted that Jamaica’s participation will mark the beginning of the Ministry’s strategy for 2025, a year poised to witness continued growth and innovation in the sector.

With the mantra “Thrive in 2025,” the tourism minister underscored the sector’s ambitious targets of expecting to welcome 5 million visitors and generate US$5 billion in earnings, further solidifying Jamaica’s position as a top-tier destination in the global tourism landscape.