So if you take the countries, United States, Spain, the UK, France, China — these are the countries that are the largest tourism destinations in the world, and these are also the countries that have had the highest rates of infection.

So I think moving forward, with respect to tourism, countries will be very careful even as they seek to rebuild the industry, and especially in the Caribbean where tourism is critical in terms of earning foreign exchange,” he said.

According to The UWI Mona deputy principal: “I do not foresee any immediate move towards reopening these borders unless places like the United States and the United Kingdom, Germany, et cetera — where most of our tourists come from — unless they also have the pandemic under control and they have also determined what sort of protocols have to be here if their citizens need to visit other countries.”

We don't know for sure when the borders will be reopened and when these tourists will arrive, but I suspect that what I said earlier about understanding what other countries will be doing will also help to inform our decision to go forward.

Tourism Minister Edmund Bartlett last week indicated that Jamaica's tourism industry will be reopened in short order, with a date to be declared.