MONTEGO BAY, St James – Keeping a watchful eye on rising airline fares and major infrastructural projects that impact visitor experience on the country’s roads, president of the Jamaica Hotel and Tourist Association (JHTA) O’Brian Heron is still confident Jamaica will have a strong winter tourist season.

“We’re very happy… that the winter season does look very, very strong. Our members are advising that the season does look as healthy as we anticipated,” he said.

Heron was speaking with reporters, Sunday afternoon, on the sidelines of the JHTA Brunch at S Hotel in Montego Bay, held as part of the official launch of the association’s 65th anniversary celebrations.

Heron said the JHTA is closely monitoring the impact fuel prices are having on airline ticket prices, and the association is maintaining discussions with Tourism Minister Edmund Bartlett and other government stakeholders to engage airlines on the issue. Turning his attention to projects which have caused traffic snarls and increased travel time, particularly delays associated with National Water Commission (NWC) upgrades, he said JHTA is also working with government agencies to address the sector’s concerns.

Visitors and Jamaicans enjoying Doctor’s Cave Beach in Montego Bay.

So far, Heron said, the National Works Agency had increased communication with tourism stakeholders regarding the progress of their projects, allowing hotels to better coordinate guest arrivals and departures. He stressed that advance notice of roadworks and traffic disruptions is essential to managing transportation arrangements, including adjusting departure times and coordinating with the police to improve traffic movement.

“It is work that has to be done. We just need to ensure there is communication, coordination, stakeholder engagement, so that we can actually have all the boxes ticked as we move the country forward,” Heron said.

“The Government has been very, very receptive to our feedback because they understand the importance of this, and they as well want to ensure that this does not have a negative impact on the guest experience,” he added.

Meanwhile, hotels are aggressively promoting the destination as they continue efforts to restore operations following last year’s devastating Hurricane Melissa. According to Heron, hotels are stepping up promotional activities — including radio appearances and hosting international media — to reinforce the message that Jamaica is open and ready for business.

“We’re hoping that with all of those efforts coming together we’ll be able to see the numbers being even more strengthened as we go into 2027,” Heron said.

The tourism sector, he reminded, had been severely tested by the Category 5 storm which forced the closure of several hotels and disrupted employment across the industry. However, recovery efforts have gathered momentum, with 92 per cent of hotels already reopened.

Heron said approximately 2,000 additional hotel rooms are expected to return to service by November and December, restoring employment for about 3,000 workers. The remaining rooms are scheduled to reopen in early 2027, with the sector anticipating that only about five per cent of hotels will remain closed by the first quarter of that year, he said.

“We understand that what we do matters to the economy, and we’ve been very, very focused and strident with everything that is happening around us to get our hotel rooms back into full commission, because what we do matters,” Heron said.

President of the Jamaica Hotel and Tourist Association (JHTA) O’Brian Heron speaking during the JHTA Brunch at S Hotel on Sunday. It was held as part of the official launch of the association’s 65th anniversary celebrations. (Photo: Aceion Cunningham)