The message is loud and
clear: Jamaica is open for business.
Hit hard by the largest
hurricane to ever make landfall on the island nation, Jamaica has recovered and
numerous resorts and attractions are operating normally.
Of the resort areas most
familiar to U.S. tourists, Montego Bay sustained the most damage, but even
there, many properties are open, as they are in Ocho Rios, Negril and the
capital, Kingston.
The three airports in
Kingston, Montego Bay and Ocho Rios are operating normally – with flights by
American, United, Delta and Southwest among others. Cruise ships are calling on
the island as usual.
The Jamaica Tourist Board
hosted four members of the media on a whirlwind tour of the island, from
Kingston to Negril, Dec. 3-8. While some hotels sustained a direct hit, many
others had cosmetic damage, such as downed trees or broken fences, and were
quickly repaired thanks to advance preparation plans. Still others emerged fully
unscathed.
Visitors to Jamaica came to a
“full stop” after Hurricane Melissa struck Oct. 28, said John Lynch, chairman
of the Jamaica Tourist Board.
“After that, it started with
a trickle and it is now starting to pick up and pick up quite nicely,” Lynch
said. “I think business is going to come back very rapidly.”
Of the resorts that remain
closed, some are expecting to reopen later this month, in January or even later
in 2026.
“Some of the properties
indicated that they’re going to stay closed and use this opportunity to become
bigger or better in some way,” Lynch said.
The Jamaica Tourist Board
keeps a running tab of properties that have or will reopen on its website.For a list of tours
and attractions that are open, click here.
On our tour, we began in
Kingston, where hotels are open as are popular attractions, such as the Bob
Marley Museum, located in the legendary singer’s own house. We stayed at the 127-room
Courtleigh Hotel & Suites, which operated at its usual high level of
hospitality.
In Ocho Rios, we visited
Hermosa Cove, a luxury resort that closed for about a week but now welcomes
guests to the hotel and its high-end restaurant, Christopher’s.
“We had a lot of trees down
and damage to one or two roofs but for the most part, nothing to cry home about
compared to what we saw happening,” said Klent Elson, manager of Hermosa Cove.
Nearby, the highly rated
Jamaica Inn also is open for business on a gorgeous 700-foot stretch of private
beach and 52 rooms and suites fronting the sea. We were fortunate to witness scores
of baby Hawksbill turtles emerge from eggs under the sand and instinctively crawl
right into the sea.
The Blue Hole Falls, operated
by Island Gully Falls, was open so visitors can jump from rock cliffs into
refreshing pools formed by the waterfalls. A guide helps escort visitors up the
rocks and through the gentle currents.
The popular Sandals Dunns
River was open and hosted more than 200 travel advisors so they could
experience Jamaica first-hand. The JTB has also welcomed representatives from
U.S. host agencies and consortia, and continues to spread the word to travel
advisors that they can feel confident recommending Jamaica to their clients.
“I have found that Jamaica is
resilient,” travel advisor Alexandra Whiting, of Ticket to Adventure Travel
Company, said at Sandals Dunn’s River. “Everything is just like it was before –
the transfer, the airport. Jamaica is back.”
Would she recommend Jamaica
to her clients seeking a winter getaway?
“Absolutely. 100 percent. I
think Jamaica’s back better than ever. The people are just so amazing,
welcoming and resilient, and this is the time to support them.”
Striped umbrellas on the beach at S Hotel Montego Bay. (Photo Credit: Theresa Norton)
Not only is tourism returning
to normal, new business is coming. Tourism officials celebrated Canadian
airline WestJet’s inaugural flight from Quebec City to Sangster International Airport
in Montego Bay on Dec. 6.
World Central Kitchen,
founded by Spanish-American chef Jose Andres, is still serving meals to those
in need from a base at the Montego Bay Convention Center. Resorts also continue
to extend helping hands when needed. The S Hotel Montego Bay has provided 30
rooms to aid workers, such as Americares, is building 60 homes, and is matching
donations up to $100,000 through its foundation. The ultra-luxury The Cliff
Hotel in Negril provides three meals a day for its workers, many of whom are
still dealing with damaged homes.
The Cliff, under new
ownership, is operating at peak levels and continues to make many improvements
started before Hurricane Melissa. It offers a variety of gorgeous 30 guest
rooms and multi-bedroom villas
The 120-room S Hotel Montego
Bay sustained cosmetic damage that was quickly fixed. “We had a team working
around the clock throughout the storm,” said Andres Cope, manager of the S
Hotel. “We were literally back up and running two days after the storm.”
Despite damage to the Montego
Bay and Falmouth cruise ports, both are back in business, said Joy Roberts,
executive director of Jamaica Vacations, who oversees cruise business and
airlift. “But the team got together and did what they needed to do, and they’re
now open. Cruise really benefits the small and medium businesspeople in Jamaica”
such as taxi drivers, craftsmen, and attraction owners.
“If tourism doesn’t come
back” she said, “it’s like a one-two punch.”
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