To help face the mounting global challenges that the tourism industry in Jamaica is beginning to face, one that is reshaping its operating environment, Senator Delano Seiveright, Minister of State in the Ministry of Tourism, has warned that global geopolitical and economic shifts are beginning to impact Jamaica’s tourism sector.

The Minister of State for Tourism, Seiveright, stated that rising costs are impacting the industry, and this new operation is creating a different environment. Seiveright referred to the disruption in global supply chains caused by rising protectionism, trade tensions, and escalating geopolitical instability.

While speaking to the industry stakeholders at the National Commercial Bank (NCB) luncheon in Montego Bay last Wednesday, Seiveright said the industry needs to address changes such as changing global monetary policies, particularly as central banks in major tourism markets such as North America and Europe move from tight to neutral stances. “These transitions could dampen consumer spending and influence travel decisions,” he expressed.

Seiveright also highlighted the dramatic rise of short-term rental platforms such as Airbnb. He noted that Jamaica hosted about 59,000 Airbnb guests in 2017 and that “by 2024, that figure had soared to approximately 840,000 guests.”

He said Airbnb is effectively working in Jamaica. “In this community-based tourism is one change that we are enhancing… the Jamaican people are stepping up, opening their homes, and becoming tourism entrepreneurs,” the state minister reported.

The Minister of State expressed his concerns regarding the recent resurgence of nationalism and protectionist rhetoric: “It is unbelievable that in 2025, we are having these conversations. Historically, these things have a strange way of repeating themselves. Tourism thrives on openness, on free movement, and those ideals are under pressure.”

In continuing, Seiveright declared that he would seek new global opportunities despite new challenges. He noted China’s expanding outbound tourism market and the potential benefits of international infrastructure partnerships. The transformative role of digital tools, arts intelligence platforms like ChatGPT, and the increasing relevance of data governance are ways to ” do business, engage customers, and plan ahead,” the minister added.

“We have been battling the effects of the U.S. travel advisory, and we are really hoping for good news very soon on that,” he added. “There has been quite a bit of anxiety and uncertainty, especially among green card holders. That has been a unique challenge for us.”

The state minister said that, as the official responsible for tourism linkages, he reiterates the government’s commitment to ensuring that the benefits of tourism are broadly shared.