MONTEGO Bay has been ranked 12th among Travel and Tour World’s top 50 Thanksgiving destinations for 2026, as Tourism Minister Edmund Bartlett heads into talks with US marketing partners to strengthen visitor demand ahead of the winter season.

The travel publication highlighted the resort city’s beaches, warm weather and Thanksgiving-inspired resort dining for Americans seeking a tropical holiday. Its list, released on October 13, placed Montego Bay ahead of Tokyo and Vienna, with Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic ranked eighth and San Juan, Puerto Rico, 16th. Paris took the top spot.

The recognition comes as Jamaica continues rebuilding its tourism industry following Hurricane Melissa, with the Government seeking to turn the destination’s international exposure into bookings and greater spending in the local economy.

In a statement issued Thursday, the Ministry of Tourism said Bartlett’s engagements in New York would include discussions with marketing partners to assess market conditions, review forward bookings and identify opportunities to attract additional business for the 2026/27 winter season.

“The winter tourist season is an important driver of Jamaica’s tourism performance, and we are taking a proactive approach to ensuring that the destination remains strongly positioned in our key source markets,” Bartlett said.

“Our engagement with marketing partners will allow us to assess demand, respond to emerging market trends and identify opportunities to stimulate additional business for Jamaica.”

Bartlett departed the island on Wednesday for engagements in Miami and New York. The ministry said the marketing discussions would focus on maintaining confidence in Jamaica and aligning promotional efforts to increase arrivals and tourism earnings.

The Thanksgiving ranking offers another opportunity to promote Montego Bay to holiday travellers. Travel and Tour World said its selections reflected an editorial assessment of factors including cultural experiences, festive dining, seasonal attractions and international accessibility. The positions do not represent a ranking of actual bookings or visitor arrivals.

Jamaica has already secured additional airline capacity for the coming winter. In an October 9 update, the Jamaica Tourist Board reported that airline partners had allocated 1,324,965 seats for January to April 2027, up 23.5 per cent over the corresponding period in 2026. At the time, the board said it was working with tour operators and accommodation partners to translate those seats into bookings.

The accommodation sector is also continuing its recovery. As previously reported by the Jamaica Observer, Bartlett projected that 88 per cent of hotel room capacity would be operational by December, with approximately 3,000 rooms still unavailable at the start of winter. Full room recovery was expected around May 2027.

Alongside the marketing discussions, Bartlett’s itinerary includes talks in Miami on Thursday aimed at increasing the economic returns from cruise tourism.

“Our objective is not simply to attract more cruise passengers, but to ensure that every visitor creates greater opportunities for Jamaican businesses, attractions, transportation providers, artisans and communities,” he said.

“That is the essence of our Tourism 3.0 approach: Moving beyond volume to value and ensuring that tourism growth delivers more meaningful returns for our people.”

The ministry said the cruise engagements would explore ways to improve the visitor experience and strengthen business links with other sectors under its Local First strategy, which seeks to retain more tourism earnings within Jamaica.

While in New York, Bartlett will also attend the American Friends of Jamaica’s Hummingbird Gala on Friday, supporting education, health care and economic opportunity initiatives. This year’s honorees include actress Sheryl Lee Ralph and hotelier Adam Stewart.

Bartlett is scheduled to return to Jamaica on Sunday, October 18.

A section of Montego Bay, St James, which placed 12th on Travel and Tour World’s list of the top 50 Thanksgiving travel destinations for 2026.