The UN World Tourism Organization believes Spain will soon replace the United States as the world’s second-most popular tourist destination.

The government figures show that 2017 was a record year for tourism, with 4.7 million visitors pumping more than $3 billion into the island's otherwise struggling economy.

Mexico and Jamaica signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) on 16 January that aims to make travel between the destinations easier and more frequent thanks to a multi-destination marketing arrangement.

Edmund Bartlett says, newly-appointed Secretary General of the UNWTO, Zurab Pololikashvili, has pledged his full support for the establishment of the first Global Tourism Resilience Centre in Jamaica.

Jamaica closed out its 2017 tourism year, shattering all previous records for the fast-growing industry.

International tourist arrivals grew by a remarkable 7 percent in 2017 to reach a total of 1,322 million, according to the latest UNWTO World Tourism Barometer.