Jamaica launches digital tourism plan

Jamaican tourist authorities have unveiled an ambitious one-stop digital portal that will touch “every phase” of the visitor experience. Launching the Visitjamaica.com site, officials from the country’s tourist board said it will allow visitors to arrange travel plans and discover new destinations with a local perspective. Deploying augmented reality, biometrics, a mobile app and artificial intelligence, the digital strategy will include the rollout of island-wide Wi-fi connectivity and kiosks at the country’s main airport to ease congestion. Donovan White, Jamaica director of tourism, said, “Tonight is the start of an incredible journey. The Visitjamaica.com portal will become the single call-toaction of all our activities on the island.” White added, however, that it’s the human touch — not gadgetry — that brings visitors back. “Improving the visitor experience must always be on the forefront of our minds when investing in technology, but it must be done without losing sight of the human connection.” Provisional data from Jamaica’s tourism authority shows a record 4.3 million people visited the Caribbean island last year, a 12 per cent increase on 2016 figures. “Improving the visitor experience must always be on the forefront of our minds when investing in technology, but it must be done without losing sight of the human connection,” said White.