KINGSTON, Jamaica — The Ministry of Tourism says it will launch the Tourism Housing Assistance Recovery Programme (THARP), which aims to aid tourism workers whose homes were damaged by Hurricane Melissa on October 28.

This was announced by Portfolio Minister Edmund Bartlett on Monday during the annual Staff Appreciation Breakfast for Norman Manley International Airport (NMIA) employees held at the airport in Kingston.

Bartlett stated that more than $2 billion has been allocated to provide support for employees in the sector who were adversely impacted by the Category 5 storm.

“We have established a special programme called THARP… to start providing support — not lending but grant support to tourism workers who have been affected, primarily who have lost roofs and homes,” Bartlett announced, noting that the programme will be officially launched in a ceremony at The Jamaica Pegasus hotel in Kingston, on Tuesday (December 16).

The minister said that at the beginning of the programme, more than 150 workers will receive support, though the target is to provide assistance to more than 5,000 tourism workers by the end of the initiative.

Bartlett noted that since the hurricane, tourism workers have received more than US$15 million in support through a combination of relief packages and loan arrangements provided by various hotels.

Additionally, a benefit concert titled “Harmonies of Hope” was held in Toronto, Canada, recently, that raised CAN$2.5 million to assist tourism workers and communities in tourist areas to rebound from the devastating hurricane.

“So, we are not recovering without the workers. Yes, we say that the recovery cannot be complete without the workers of our industry,” Bartlett emphasised.