CDC Lowers Jamaica Travel Advisory to Level 1

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has lowered its travel advisory for Jamaica.

The country is now at the lowest level, Level 1. Countries classified as Level 1 have low cases of the virus, and its status reflects that Jamaica's case levels have steadily decreased in recent months.

Edmund Bartlett, Minister of Tourism for Jamaica, noted that now tourism can continue to rebound.

"A Level 1 travel advisory is amongst the best news the tourism industry can hope for," said Minister Bartlett. "This reduced designation is a testament to the work of our government and the Jamaican people as well as a hopeful incentive to keep our tourism recovery moving forward."

Bartlett also noted that tourism numbers have continued to increase and expressed hope for a meaningful recovery by 2023.

"In 2021, Jamaica welcomed more than 1.5 million visitor arrivals to our shores. These visitors' on-island spend contributed over USD $2.095 billion into our country's economy, positively impacting local businesses and tourism stakeholders," said Minister Bartlett. "For 2022, the outlook for the tourism sector remains positive with projections for approximately 2.45 to 2.5 million visitor arrivals and a total visitor spend of about USD $2.9 billion."

Jamaica continues to be dedicated to its comprehensive CARES health and safety protocols, which were among the first to receive the World Travel & Tourism Council's Safe Travels recognition.

Travelers still need a COVID-19 test to travel to Jamaica, but the country has eliminated the need for the Travel Authorization Form and any quarantine.

"Travelers can continue to rest assured that our island is among the safest choices in the Caribbean and in the world," said Bartlett.