Jamaica sees 70,000 visitors in first week of winter travel season

Jamaica has kicked off the winter tourist season with a robust showing, welcoming more than 70,000 visitors in the first seven days, a sign of renewed confidence in the destination and steady momentum in the sector’s post–Hurricane Melissa recovery.

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Tourism officials said roughly 46,000 of those arrivals were stopover visitors, while another 30,000 came via cruise ships, underscoring strong demand across both airlift and cruise segments. Since the passage of Hurricane Melissa, the island has received an estimated 370,000 visitors, generating about US$331.2 million in tourism earnings.

Tourism Minister Edmund Bartlett welcomed the early winter performance but emphasized that the recovery effort goes beyond headline numbers. “Our recovery is not only about increasing visitor numbers,” Bartlett said. “It is also about ensuring that the men and women who power our tourism industry are supported as we build back stronger. These numbers equate to US$331.2 million in earnings and mean real jobs for our workers and earnings for the country’s economy.”

As part of that worker-centered approach, more than J$2 billion has been earmarked to support tourism employees as they stabilize their livelihoods and meet household needs. A key pillar of this effort is the Tourism Housing Assistance Recovery Programme (THARP), which is targeting tourism workers whose homes were damaged during the October 28 hurricane. The programme is set to assist more than 150 workers in its initial phase, with a longer-term goal of supporting over 5,000 workers by the end of the initiative.

Bartlett said investing in workers is essential to building a more resilient and inclusive tourism industry, one that delivers benefits not only to businesses and visitors, but also to Jamaican families and communities nationwide.

Tourism Director Donovan White echoed that optimism, pointing to continued stakeholder confidence. “Our partners and stakeholders continue to invest in the island’s tourism recovery, which highlights a deep sense of confidence that we will build back even better,” White said.

With the winter season now underway, tourism officials remain optimistic that sustained growth in arrivals, paired with targeted support for workers, will further strengthen Jamaica’s economic recovery and long-term tourism development. The Ministry of Tourism said it continues to engage industry stakeholders to reinforce labour market arrangements and secure stronger tenure and protections for tourism workers as the recovery progresses.