Jamaica Isn’t Destroyed: Tourism and Resorts Rise Strong after Hurricane Melissa

Just six weeks after Hurricane Melissa swept through Jamaica, TMR joined the first U.S. media group to tour the island, sponsored by the Jamaica Tourist Board (JTB). Over five days, we traveled through Kingston, Ocho Rios, Montego Bay, and Negril to see and experience the country’s recovery firsthand. 

The Media Portrayal vs. Reality

On October 28th, the Category 5 hurricane made landfall in St. Elizabeth Parish, southwestern Jamaica. With gusts over 250 mph and sustained winds of 185 mph, Melissa was the strongest storm ever recorded on the island. It then turned northeast, passing Trelawny Parish between Montego Bay and Ocho Rios before moving off to sea. 

The next day, images and videos inundated our screens, with gut-wrenching footage from the community of Black River and other areas of St. Elizabeth, where the hurricane swept through the region. Many media outlets painted a picture that the whole island has been devastated. One headline read, “Hurricane Melissa tore a path of destruction across Jamaica”, and Jamaica’s Prime Minister declared the entire country a disaster area.

But in reality, much of Jamaica – the Caribbean’s third largest island at 146 miles long and roughly 4,200 square miles – was untouched by the hurricane. Instead, the storm caused pockets of damage, and the affected areas are now in various stages of recovery. Jamaica’s main resort areas – Ocho Rios, Montego Bay, and Negril – are open and eager to receive visitors.

Our tour began in the country’s capital, Kingston, located about 90 miles east of the storm center. Kingston, Port Antonio, and points east only saw tropical storm-force winds and were entirely unaffected. As we drove west toward Ocho Rios, we saw downed trees and branches on the side of the road, with hardworking crews clearing the debris. Farther along, in Montego Bay, which sustained more significant damage, crews were collecting uprooted trees, broken branches, and debris, and carrying out roof repairs. Some resorts are open, but many remain closed. At the western tip of the island, Negril received peripheral rain and wind and minor damage from downed trees. Overall, aside from palm trees missing a few fronds and trees with broken branches, both the resort areas and the countryside we drove through remain green, flowers are blooming, and the island is very much open for business.

Jamaica’s Astounding Recovery

“What we saw when we woke up on October 29, what is there now, how far we have come, it speaks to the resilient nature of our people, and their understanding of the importance, the significance of this industry to their livelihood, to the overall economy of Jamaica,” said Odette Dyer, JTB’s regional director for Jamaica. “Everyone put hands and hearts and came out to do what they had to do to get this economy back on track.” 

Part of Jamaica’s remarkable recovery was due to the island’s preparedness. Situated on the hurricane belt, all hotels and resorts already have active hurricane plans that ensure generators, elevators, and air conditioners are properly serviced and functioning. Robust contingency plans are in place, and there is sufficient food and water supply. In anticipation of the hurricane, efforts were doubled to batten down the hatches. Resorts with multiple locations relocated guests to sister properties outside of the storm’s path, and guests who chose to stay were kept safe. Donovan White, JTB’s director of tourism, also credited the country’s “muscle memory” from previous hurricanes and the recent pandemic for its resilience and quick rebound.

Jamaica worked “unrelentingly”, according to White, to resume services. White shared that, just 38 days after Oct 28, 80 percent of the island’s power and water services have been restored. 55 percent of hotels are open, a figure that is expected to rise to 68 percent by the end of December and 80 percent by the end of January. “I’m absolutely sure those numbers could not be possible anywhere else,” White added. “That’s the power and resilience of the most important characteristic and value of our country and our tourism product – our people. We have a willpower and the level of resistance to anything that affects us that is unbelievable. It makes Jamaica the only product you can get with that quality.”

The government of Jamaica has secured over US$6.2 billion in aid, and contributions from international cruise lines and donations from all over the world add millions more. Jamaica Hotel & Tourist Association (JHTA) President Christopher Jarrett, a boutique hotelier himself, said the care grant offered by the government, combined with hurricane insurance, has allowed many hotels and small businesses to get back up and running quickly, and JHTA also contributed $10 million towards their reopening efforts. The above initiatives will support Montego Bay, the resort area that suffered the most damage from the storm. Mayor Richard Vernon is optimistic that his city will prevail and declared that they are building back stronger and better, promising “an even greater experience coming out of this disaster than what you would have had before the disaster.”

The Positive Outlook Ahead

Jamaica received 4.3 million visitors in 2024, and JTB Chairman John Lynch is confident in a full recovery by March. Lynch told TMR: “After the hurricane, the business stopped. We closed down for a week. We were evacuating people. And after that, it started with a trickle, and it is now starting to pick up quite nicely. We have enough product that’s going to be opened.”

Jamaica’s three international airports – Kingston’s Norman Manley (KIN), Montego Bay’s Sangster International (MBJ), and Ocho Rios’ Ian Fleming (OCJ) are in full operation for both passengers and cargo. 

At MBJ, our media group also had the opportunity to welcome WestJet’s inaugural flight from Quebec City on December 6, a new weekly service linking Montego Bay with the Canadian province. The airline has been flying to Jamaica for over a decade and a half, and at a press conference held at Sangster International Airport, Peter Hall, COO of MBJ Airports Limited, said the new route represents “an undiluted testament and a strong signal that Jamaica remains open for business.” 

The cruise industry has also returned, with all four ports – Port Royal in Kingston, Ocho Rios, Montego Bay, and Falmouth – already welcoming 50,000 cruise guests. 

New capacity is also coming to the Montego Bay area, with an additional 5,000 rooms, including UNICO, Hard Rock Resort & Casino, and Moon Palace The Grand.

While many hotels and attractions have reopened, many are also taking time to rebuild, renovate, and enhance guest services. Sandals Resorts International, which operates eight properties in Jamaica, reopened five resorts on December 6 – Sandals Royal Plantation, Sandals Ochi, Sandals Dunn’s River, Sandals Negril, and Beaches Negril – while Sandals Montego Bay, Sandals Royal Caribbean, and Sandals South Coast will reopen on May 30, 2026, after undergoing damage repairs and renovations.

The company also hosted more than 250 Travel Advisors from Canada and the US at Sandals Dunn’s River in Ocho Rios for a “Back to Jamaica” fam from December 3-6, where Sandals Resorts International’s Executive Chairman Adam Stewart addressed advisors with positivity and passion about tourism recovery. “There is no storm that’s gonna stop Jamaica”, Stewart said. “We’re going to lead from the front, and the reality is that my father (Sandals’ Founder Gordon “Butch” Stewart) always said the Caribbean, the country of Jamaica, and Sandals resorts, is at its absolute best at times of adversity.” Sandals Resorts International is also a significant contributor to recovery by donating more than five million dollars towards the people of Jamaica. It is also keeping all of its resort staff – including those at properties that remain closed – on payroll, with meals, full benefits, and gratuities.

How Travel Advisors Can Help Jamaica’s Recovery

With upwards of half a million people in Jamaica directly and indirectly employed in the tourism sector – and tourism accounting for 35 percent of the country’s GDP – the livelihoods of many are truly at stake in the post-hurricane period. Travel advisors play a critical role in raising awareness, educating their clients that Jamaica is open for business, and supporting the country’s economy through bookings. 

Throughout our trip, tourism officials, hoteliers, attraction operators, and hospitality groups shared the same message: they are coming back better than ever, but they need visitors. “The best way you can support Jamaica today and going forward is to send your business here”, said White. “We have hotels, tours, and attractions that are looking to continue to serve you. Not because we feel sorry for ourselves, but because we are ready to do what we do best, and that is to serve your clients to make them have the greatest experience, right here in Jamaica.”

Advisors can visit The Jamaica Tourist Board website, which features a Travel Alert page listing hotels and attractions by resort areas and their current opening status, along with an FAQ page. Since reopenings are constantly happening, the page is updated daily. A live chat is also available Monday to Friday from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m., where advisors and clients can ask questions. Advisors can also reach out to their local Jamaican Tourist Board office for sales support.