MONTEGO BAY, St James — With the summer tourist season fast approaching, president of the Montego Bay Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MBCCI) Jason Russell is urging both local and international travellers to book their trips early as the city prepares for a record-breaking influx of visitors.

“Don’t bet on Jamaica being down. Always bet on Jamaica being up. Always bet on festivals happening,” said Russell.

He was speaking with journalists following Wednesday’s celebration of Spirit Airlines’ 20th anniversary of service to Jamaica. It was held at Sangster International Airport (SIA) in Montego Bay.

The western resort city’s readiness for the upcoming summer season is built on a foundation of robust logistics like that provided by SIA and its long-standing relationship with airlines such as Spirit.

“They’ve added flights throughout our history to accommodate these things,” stated Russell.

Spirit began flights to and from Jamaica on November 10, 2005, serving Norman Manley International Airport in Kingston and SIA, which is Jamaica’s busiest gateway. The airline has since grown from a low-cost carrier to an ultra-low-cost airline, making travel to Jamaica more accessible for visitors from across the United States. Russell noted that Spirit’s economic model is perfectly suited for the young, vibrant demographic drawn to Jamaica’s summer festivals such as Reggae Sumfest and Dream Wknd.

“We are ready. We are ready for these things, and adding Dream Wknd this year is a testimony to that also,” he said.

Known for iconic events such as Jazz Fest and Sunsplash, Montego Bay is now gearing up for the hosting of Reggae Sumfest — the “crown jewel” of Jamaican music festivals — which is slated for July 12–18. Also added to the line-up this year is Dream Wknd, the Caribbean’s VIP party series, which is scheduled for July 30 to August 3 after moving from Negril — its previous home of 16 years.

An upbeat Russell said Montego Bay is expecting thousands of visitors from the United States and Europe this summer. He also spoke of significant investments in road infrastructure, including the under-construction Montego Bay Perimeter Road, that have prepared the city to handle traffic from the increased volume of travellers.

For her part, Sharon Hislop-Holt, the commercial manager at MBJ Airports Limited which operates SIA, said they are ready for the influx of overseas travellers who are expected to attend these festivals.

“We are always prepared for any eventuality. We are always ready, no matter what. And we are ready to accept the passengers,” assured Hislop-Holt in an interview.

She spoke of the ongoing rebound after last October’s Hurricane Melissa.

“The traffic is not what it has been in previous years, but we have seen continued growth up to today. For the year, we are approximately 68 per cent of the previous year’s traffic and that is excellent. The airport is fully operational to take all the aircraft that need to come into Montego Bay,” said Hislop-Holt.

“We ended 2024 at about 5.2 million passengers and last year at 4.5 million and that was with the hurricane impact on travel in the last two months. But the airport was back up and operational two days after the hurricane, accepting commercial flights,” she added.

Montego Bay Chamber of Commerce and Industry President Jason Russell does an interview on the sidelines of Tuesday’s celebration of Spirit Airline’s 20th anniversary of flights into Jamaica. (Photo: Anthony Lewis)