Jamaica sets December 15 deadline for full tourism revival

Coordinated Response for Rapid Recovery

The Hurricane Melissa Recovery Task Force, created by the Jamaican government, is leading immediate response efforts. The team is conducting rapid assessments and prioritizing infrastructure restoration across resorts, attractions, airports, seaports, and key tourism corridors including Montego Bay, Ocho Rios, and Negril.

Parallel to this, the Tourism Resilience Coordination Committee, chaired by Jessica Shannon, Chief Experience Officer at Sandals Resorts International, is mobilizing resources and technical assistance. The committee is channeling financial support, in-kind donations, and skilled volunteers to help tourism workers, small businesses, and local communities rebound.

Efforts are being coordinated with the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management (ODPEM) and through the official relief platform supportjamaica.gov.jm, ensuring transparent processing and efficient delivery of aid.

Building on Jamaica’s Proven Resilience

Minister Bartlett emphasized that the recovery plan builds on the same resilience framework that guided Jamaica’s post-COVID tourism rebound, recognized internationally by the Global Tourism Resilience and Crisis Management Centre (GTRCMC).

“Empathy, coordination, and innovation got us through the pandemic,” he said. “Those same principles will power our recovery now.”

Momentum is already visible in the hospitality sector. “ I can report that 33 hotels are open for business. In addition to the 33 hotels that are open to receiving guests, more than 50 hotels are open to receiving bookings for future stays. Most properties remain committed to meeting my announced reopening date of December 15,” said Bartlett.

Meanwhile, all three international airports — Sangster in Montego Bay, Norman Manley in Kingston, and Ian Fleming in Ocho Rios, are again fully operational.

Weekly updates from the recovery task force will track progress toward the December 15 goal. “The world knows Jamaica for its resilience,” Bartlett told. “This is our opportunity once again to prove it.”