We’re ready’: Jamaica moves toward Dec. 15 tourism reopening after Melissa

Jamaica’s top tourism officials are signaling confidence in a full industry rebound by mid-December, even as the country continues to recover from the devastating impact of Hurricane Melissa, the Category 5 storm that slammed into the western parishes on Oct. 28.

- Advertisement -

Tourism Minister Edmund Bartlett, Consul General Oliver Mair, Deputy Director of Tourism Philip Rose, Director of Tourism Donovan White, and several South Florida–based diaspora and travel stakeholders gathered at the Island SPACE Caribbean Museum in Broward County on Thursday, December 4, to outline the path forward. The meeting formed part of a wider push by the Ministry of Tourism to reassure international partners, travel advisors, and the Jamaican diaspora that the island is on track to reopen for business on Dec. 15, 2025.

Bartlett said the decision to activate reopening plans hinges on the pace of recovery, the resilience of tourism workers, and early assessments showing that the majority of tourism infrastructure remains intact.

Advisories expected to ease as recovery progresses

Since the storm, Jamaica has faced heightened travel advisories, including an upgrade to Level 3 by the United States, with a “natural disaster” risk indicator added. Bartlett acknowledged that Category 5 headlines naturally trigger caution among source markets, but said the advisory levels are expected to ease soon.

“The very thought of a Category 5 hitting anywhere and its consequences would evoke an immediate level of caution by any country,” Bartlett said. “But the reality is those levels will change with circumstances. The fact that we have shown that level of resilience and have had a recovery that is phenomenal — that the World Bank is saying they have never seen any country recover this fast — all of this has its impact.”

He added that Jamaica expects a return to Level 2 “as quickly as possible” as cleanup work continues and hotels confirm readiness for guests.

Tourism workers help drive the recovery

Bartlett said the ministry grappled with the question of when to reopen, noting that the storm left thousands of workers without homes, electricity, water, or a stable mental footing.

“The destruction in some of the areas was so intense that workers were, in fact, without homes in many instances — without food, water, electricity, and in a state of mind that would not be conducive to any kind of productive work,” he said.

But the minister said the resolve of tourism workers ultimately shaped the ministry’s reopening timeline.

“What we saw in the spirit of the workers was amazing. They left their own situation to come to the hotels and help with the cleanup,” he said. “As I toured various hotels, they told me their choice was either ‘we suffer and die here’ or ‘we come and do something and live after.’ And they chose the latter.”

Bartlett emphasized that while western Jamaica absorbed the worst damage, the majority of the country’s tourism belt remains operational.

“Only about a third of Jamaica was affected in a serious way — maybe 30 to 40 percent of the total tourism workforce,” he said. “But there is another 60 to 70 percent wanting to continue to work because they can go to work. And also because their facilities were not affected. So to open on the 15th was very inspired.”

Recovery efforts and sector outlook

Government assessments show:

• Hundreds of hotel rooms along the Negril and Montego Bay corridors were impacted but remain structurally sound. The Jamaica Tourist Board (JTB) has published a phased reopening schedule on its website. Several major hotel brands — including Couples Resorts, Azul Beach Resort in Negril, RIU Hotels & Resorts, and Sandals Resorts International (and sister brand Beaches Resorts) — have already resumed operations or announced some reopenings for early December.
• Key airports — Sangster International and Norman Manley — resumed commercial operations within days of the storm.
• Major attractions outside the western impact zone, including Ocho Rios, parts of Kingston, and Portland, reported minimal damage and have already restarted limited operations.
• The Tourism Enhancement Fund (TEF) has been activated to support tourism-industry workers affected by the storm.
• The funding package for national reconstruction includes support from multilateral lenders. In a coordinated move, the World Bank Group (WBG), the Inter‑American Development Bank (IDB), the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB), the CAF – Development Bank of Latin America and the Caribbean, and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) have committed up to US$6.7 billion over three years to support Jamaica’s recovery and reconstruction.

Despite the disruption, Jamaica continues to project that visitor arrivals for winter 2025–26 could stabilize faster than initially feared, as many source markets are already rebooking vacations for the post-Melissa period.

Diaspora seen as key partner

The South Florida visit is one of several diaspora engagements planned by the Ministry of Tourism, with Bartlett stressing that the diaspora is one of Jamaica’s most reliable audiences during recovery cycles.

Stakeholders in attendance pledged support for marketing campaigns, donation drives, and recovery messaging aimed at restoring traveler confidence in time for the winter high season.

Bartlett said the ministry’s focus is clear: reopen safely, restore livelihoods, and send a strong signal that Jamaica is rebounding.