Jamaica... Tourism haven!

Jamaica is an island in the Caribbean Sea. It has a total area of 10,990 sq km. The total coastline is 1,022 km with the capital city “Kingston” situated on its southeastern part. Jamaica is one of the islands with a diverse geography. Its topographical features including mountains, bays, waterfalls, rivers, caves, forests, plains and beaches are the major tourist attraction. The island provides the tourists with several options including: climbing Dunns River Falls, spending the day at Bob Marley Museum, shopping for souvenirs at Taj Mahal in Ocho Rios, go hiking in Blue Mountain in Kingston, dancing the night away at Fiction Nightclub or having a few drinks at a local pub.

Choosing your top tourist attractions in Jamaica before you arrive will save you money and time. Read on to know some of the popular attractions in Jamaica:

Mountains

Tourists interested in hiking have a chance to visit mountains in Jamaica like the Blue Mountain which form a boundary between St. Thomas and Portland parishes. This is where the famous Blue Mountain coffee is grown and where the second largest butterflies in the world “Papilio homeru” are found here.

Museums

Jamaica has several museums that one can select from. The museums are mirrors to Jamaica’s culture. One is able to take a full image of this culture after touring museums like b Museum, Hanover Museum, People’s Museum of craft and Technology and Reggae Xplosion museum.

Tours

A tour to Jamaica gives you the best chance to explore its beautiful island. Several tour companies are ready to take you around from architectural Sightseeing to water tours. Tourists can choose to visit the White River, Dunns River Falls, or go cycling around the Blue Mountain.

Cultural Events

Jamaica has a well reserved culture that is presented by several events like reggae concerts, local festivals and agricultural shows. Reggae Sum fest, an international Reggae show, is responsible for attracting tens of thousands of patrons to Montego Bay for the weekend. Jamaica also has events that celebrate its independence, music, food, art and lifestyle.

Historical Sites

The island of Jamaica has many historical sites that enable tourists to acquire information about its history up to date. You can choose to spend a day at Port Royal, where pirates once ruled and were known as the richest and wickedest. Most of this historical buildings and landmarks are located in the Jamaican capital city, Kingston.

Beaches
Jamaica has several beautiful beaches.  Some are public and crowded while others are private and secluded. Among the most famous: Ocho Rios, Negril, and Montego Bay. Seven Mile Beach is also one of the amazing beaches found in Jamaica.

Gardens

Jamaica is not short of lovely gardens. One such beautiful garden is the Ocho Rios. The garden not only provides a wonderful place to cool off your mind but is also a place to encounter lovely flowers along with other fauna. Ocho Rios is however not the only garden; there are other ones such as Shaw Park Gardens and Castleton Gardens, among others.

Carnivals

Carnival lovers will enjoy what Jamaica has to offer. Although every weekend a soca party is held in Jamaica, but April is the best month for the carnival.

New Zealand tourism: the next big thing

The recent studies have shown the western markets driving up New Zealand’s tourism to 6.1 per cent year after another. The data shows 2.78 million arrivals till financial year end April 2014. New Zealand is on its way to becoming one of the most visited tourist destinations in the world. It is already frequented by those who seek to enjoy exceptional holiday experiences at a competitive price.

Germany displayed highest growth by 16.3 per cent, followed by USA by 11 per cent and UK grew by 2.8 per cent. This Data was released from the International Visitor Survey also focused on the overall international visitor spending had also increased by nine per cent till March 2014.

Studies have shown that UK visitors are attracted to New Zealand’s culture and the services offered by a number of new boutique lodges and hotels launched in 2013 and 2014, they are also attracted to the recreational activities such as cycling experiences linked to the newly launched New Zealand Cycle Trail and the continuing impact of the country’s starring role in Sir Peter Jackson’s Hobbit trilogy.

The recent events have made New Zealand one of the most desired places to visit for many British travellers. The favourable weather conditions and a robust tourism infrastructure make it a prime spot for holidaying.

The international growth predicts Tourism in New Zealand ahead on track for targets set by ‘Tourism 2025”, this means an ambitious goal to achieve NZ$41 billion total as a tourism revenue by 2025. They expect to get the returns on huge investments made to enhance tourism.

Many people are just looking for a package that suits their budget and also provides a quality holidaying experience. Recently The industry wide framework which is led by the Tourism Industry Association in association with Tourism New Zealand have announced this spring to focus efforts on the theme of ‘targeting for value’. The services will be a value for money which will encourage people to spend more than an average holiday visitor. New Zealand has decided to invest in certain crucial areas in an effort to increase the number of visitors coming from across the world.

The event was strategically used as a platform to provide NZ$20 million dollar extension for the Memorandum of Understanding with Air New Zealand. The synergy of the deal will also help promote tourism.