The Jamaican government plans to establish a “new zone” for “high-end tourism” along the island’s northern coast, from Oracabessa near the Ocho Rios tourist region to Port Antonio, the capital of Portland parish.

The “Revere Zone” will include the coastal areas of Oracabessa, Port Maria, St. Ann’s Bay, Runaway Bay, and Discovery Bay and will feature “only low-density development,” according to Jamaica Ministry of Tourism officials in a statement.

Travelers arriving in Jamaica through Ocho Rios’ Ian Fleming International Airport will have “easier access” to the new zone, officials stated, after planned new motorways are constructed.  Furthermore, redevelopment initiatives are also ongoing in Port Antonio to boost the area’s appeal for high-end guests, the officials stated.

“This new zone will be supported by additional nonstop air service flying directly into Ocho Rios, providing easier and more direct access to this beautiful region of our island,” said Edmund Bartlett, Jamaica’s tourism minister.

The establishment of the tourism zone will encourage more guests to explore places beyond the key tourist destinations of Montego Bay and Negril, officials stated, spreading tourism revenues to more people and businesses around the island.

Jamaica’s post-epidemic visitor numbers have risen substantially, prompting major airlines to increase their flights to the island. Delta Airlines has relaunched daily Jamaica flights from Detroit and Minneapolis for the first time since the outbreak, according to Ministry officials.

JetBlue announced earlier this month that it will offer 40% more seats between the United States and Montego Bay by July 2022 than it did in July 2019, prior to the pandemic’s emergence.