Abolish immigration forms, waive visa requirements - Forstmayr

Former Jamaica Hotel and Tourist Association president Josef Forstmayr is calling for the Government to waive visa requirements for Central and South American countries as Jamaica seeks to tap into that region’s emerging tourism markets.

He is also advocating for the abolition of immigration forms, which are filled out at the point of entry when a visitor arrives in the island.

He argues that in this technological age, visitors should be able to swipe their passports and information is relayed to the relevant authorities.

However, Damion Crawford, the state minister for tourism says the Government will not abolish the forms as they provide vital information on health issues, and other data relevant to the processing of people coming to Jamaica.

Additionally, Crawford notes that the acquisition of a visa also carries a fee, which is revenue the Government cannot give up at this time.

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