AS the local tourism industry continues to rebound, a year after Hurricane Melissa devastated sections of the island, Jamaica Hotel and Tourist Association (JHTA) President O’Brian Heron has cautioned against mistaking the reopening of properties for a full recovery.

“Reopening is not the same as recovery. What we’ve had is a strong rebound, and a rebound has to be nurtured if it is to be sustained,” he told the Jamaica Observer in response to recent queries.

Heron said that while the sector has managed to restore much of its room capacity and welcomed millions of visitors since the hurricane struck in October 2025, outstanding insurance claims, infrastructure deficiencies, and the financial strain on operators remain significant obstacles to a complete recovery.

“Many operators are still rebuilding their balance sheets, and the sector remains exposed to shocks beyond our control — ranging from the cost and availability of fuel to other conditions in our main source markets,” he said.

With approximately 90 per cent of the island’s hotel room inventory expected to be operational for the upcoming winter tourist season, nearly 2000 rooms are scheduled to reopen in December with the remainder projected to return in 2027.

“The properties still to open are not simply repairing; many are undergoing complete redesigns and remodelling as owners invest millions of dollars because they believe in Jamaica. What is to return promises to be a more modern but stronger structure than that which existed before Melissa,” Heron told the Business Observer

While room capacity is gradually being restored and visitors are returning, Heron cautioned that these signs of recovery do not necessarily reflect the financial health of tourism businesses. Many operators, he said, remain under pressure after using their own resources to finance repairs while awaiting outstanding insurance settlements.

“We are still not where we should be with insurance claims being settled and closed out. However our members, in understanding what this industry means to Jamaica’s economy and for local employment, saw many taking the decision not to wait, as they reopened their properties and carried the cost of repairs themselves from their own resources,” he said.

The delays have left operators carrying the financial burden of hurricane repairs even as they work to get their businesses back on their feet. Heron said smaller tourism operators have been particularly hard hit, given their limited financial resources and greater difficulty absorbing the costs of prolonged closures and reconstruction.

For operators who have already invested substantial sums in repairs, timely insurance settlements are now critical to completing outstanding work, replenishing working capital and stabilising their finances. Heron warned that further delays could also hold back investment in properties still undergoing repairs or upgrades.

Beyond insurance, Heron identified infrastructure as another pressing concern, particularly the condition of key roads serving tourism businesses.

“The JHTA acknowledges the Government’s efforts with the announced road upgrades and the bypass work, which is now fully under way. However, a few critical roads are still in need of urgent attention,” the president said.

“I have been in close dialogue with the Government on these, and that dialogue continues. What I want to see now is swifter action, because these roads carry our visitors and workers every day,” he added.

The infrastructure concerns come as the industry seeks to fast- track recovery ahead of the upcoming winter tourist season, which runs from December 15 to mid-April and represents the peak period for visitor arrivals to the island.

Despite the ongoing challenges, Jamaica welcomed approximately 2.3 million visitors and generated approximately US$2.5 billion in tourism earnings between January and August of this year. Airlines have also committed more than 1.3 million seats for the upcoming winter season — an increase of more than 20 per cent above the previous season.

These successes follow multiple contractions across the accommodation and food services industry, which declined by 31 per cent in the October-December 2025 quarter, 16.6 per cent in January-March 2026, and 12.3 per cent in April-June.

After a near two-month closure, the industry resumed welcoming visitors on December 15, 2025. Since then, more than 80,000 hotel workers have returned to their jobs, alongside employees and operators across restaurants, attractions, transportation and craft businesses.

Heron credited the resilience of operators and workers, along with continued international confidence in Jamaica’s tourism product, for the sector’s relatively swift reopening.

“Much of what we have seen speaks to something no statistic can fully capture, and that is the trust, love and goodwill the world has for Jamaica. Visitors came back because they wanted to stand with us; and our airline partners, travel advisors and investors have also kept faith in the destination when it mattered most,” he said.

The recovery remains uneven across the sector, with some larger hotels having resumed full operations while smaller properties and independent operators continue to struggle with repairs and financing constraints.

According to Vana Taylor, chairman of the Jamaica Association of Villas and Apartments and area chair for the JHTA’s Ocho Rios/Runaway Bay chapter, recovery in the villa and apartment segment now stands at about 60 and 70 per cent, respectively, with a broader return to full operation not expected before 2027.

“Some properties that sustained extensive damage may, however, not return to full operation until around 2028,” she noted.

“At the moment, some of the higher-end villas and apartments that suffered limited damage are performing well while others have been using the rebuilding process to upgrade their properties and improve the guest experience,” Taylor further said.

The rebuilding effort comes as Jamaica presses ahead with its ambitious 10x10x10 growth strategy, which targets 10 million visitors annually within a decade. Building on the approximately 3.7 million visitors recorded in 2025, the Government is banking on a US$5-billion tourism development pipeline to support that expansion, with plans to add between 15,000 and 20,000 hotel rooms over the next five to 10 years.

Tourism Minister Edmund Bartlett, who continues to champion efforts to broaden the island’s tourism offering beyond its traditional sun, sea and sand attractions, has in recent times placed greater emphasis on a number of new passion points including gastronomy, sports, cultural events and other experiences which he believes will attract new visitor segments and encourage repeat travel.

To this end, events such as Reggae Sumfest, large sporting events such as Boys’ and Girls’ Athletics Championships, and Carnival in Jamaica have been poised as important draws. The planned opening of the country’s first casino at Princess Hotels in 2027 is also expected to add another dimension in entertainment offerings.

Following recent stagings of the Jamaica Product Exchange (JAPEX) trade show, Jamaica is also actively pursuing opportunities in new source markets, including India, Africa, the Gulf region and Latin America. The United States, however, remains the island’s largest source market— accounting for more than 60 per cent of all visitors.

Planned expansions at Jamaica’s two main international airports are also expected to strengthen air connectivity and accommodate increased visitor arrivals. Meanwhile, a recent partnership between Sandals and Royal Caribbean could bring land-based and cruise tourism closer together, opening up new revenue streams and creating opportunities for businesses across the wider tourism industry.

Additionally, the sector is now looking to technology to improve operational efficiency and the visitor experience, with artificial intelligence and digital solutions positioned to play a key role in this regard. The Jamaica Centre for Tourism Innovation, established as one of the institutions tasked with supporting efforts to strengthen industry skills, is to help with preparing the workforce for the sector’s evolving needs.

With recovery expected to accelerate in the first quarter of next year, Bartlett said the country could attain at least 95 per cent recovery by the end of March 2027, with a full restoration expected by May.

“Melissa was able to bend us, but it could not break us. We are not bouncing back; we are bouncing forward,” the minister said as he addressed travel advisors and industry partners at a Jamaica Tourist Board (JTB) Destination Seminar held in Toronto, Canada late last week.

From left: Camille Needham, executive director of the JHTA; Vana Taylor, chairman of JAVA and chair of the Ocho Rios Chapter, JHTA; Nicola Madden-Greig, chairperson, JHTA; O’Brian Heron, president of the JHTA; and Jennifer Griffith, permanent secretary in the Ministry of Tourism, are photographed together at the launch of JAPEX 2026. (Photo: Naphtali Junior)