Across Jamaica’s main tourism corridors, the signs of return are unmistakable. Flights are arriving on schedule. Resort districts are active. Restaurants, attractions, beaches, and cultural sites are operating with the steadiness of a destination that has moved beyond emergency response and into winter-season rhythm.
Just over six weeks after Hurricane Melissa struck the island as a Category Five storm, Jamaica has reopened across its core visitor areas, including Montego Bay, Ocho Rios, Negril, and Kingston. The winter season is underway with a growing number of travelers back on the island.
The Number That Signals Recovery
Since the hurricane, Jamaica has welcomed more than 300,000 visitors, a figure that includes both stopover and cruise arrivals. Minister of Tourism Edmund Bartlett said the milestone reflects the speed and coordination of the island’s recovery strategy, with operations restored across multiple sectors.
Jamaica met its target of restoring tourism activity by Dec. 15, marking a turnaround just over six weeks after the storm. Bartlett credited the recovery to coordinated work by tourism workers island-wide, many of whom returned to service while still managing storm impacts at home.
Open Airports, Returning Flights
Air access has stabilized across the island. Sangster International Airport in Montego Bay, Norman Manley International Airport in Kingston, and Ian Fleming International Airport in Ocho Rios are all operating normally, with airlines maintaining regular schedules and welcoming flights from key source markets.
Hotel reopenings are continuing in phases. Tourism officials estimate that approximately seventy-one percent of hotel inventory will be reopened by the end of the month, with additional properties returning through early 2026 as repairs and upgrades continue.
Resorts Reopening Across The Island
Across Jamaica’s resort regions, a growing number of hotels are already welcoming guests, restoring important room inventory and experiences.
On the north coast, Round Hill Hotel and Villas has reopened, bringing back a landmark luxury property that hosted a wedding shortly after its reopening, a sign of operational momentum. The RIU brand has brought multiple all-inclusive resorts back online, with several properties now open and operating for winter travel.
Sandals Resorts International has reopened a group of its Jamaican properties, including Sandals Dunn’s River, Sandals Ochi, Sandals Royal Plantation, Sandals Negril, and Beaches Negril, each offering full amenities and service for travelers returning to the island this season. Other Sandals resorts on the island are scheduled to reopen next year as part of phased renovations.
Elsewhere, a number of boutique and independent hotels that sustained less severe storm impact are open as well. In Kingston, properties including GoldenEye, Jamaica Inn, The Cliff Hotel & Spa, and several urban hotels are welcoming guests again. In Ocho Rios, Couples Sans Souci, Couples Tower Isle, and RIU Ocho Rios are among the hotels operating normally, providing options for travelers beyond the all-inclusive segment.
Other properties are on extended timelines depending on post-storm repair needs, and officials say reopenings will continue through the winter and into early 2026, broadening room choices for visitors as demand builds.
Experiences Back In Motion
Beyond hotels and airports, Jamaica’s broader visitor economy is functioning again at wide scale. Attractions across the island — from historic sites to nature parks and cultural venues — are open, allowing travelers to experience the culture, music, cuisine, and landscapes that define the destination.
Minister Bartlett described the recovery as a collaborative effort involving hotels, attractions, transportation providers, and government agencies. Donovan White, Director of Tourism, emphasized that visitor travel plays a direct role in supporting communities still rebuilding, noting that every arrival contributes to jobs and local economies across the island.
What It Means This Winter
Tourism accounts for more than thirty percent of Jamaica’s gross domestic product and supports roughly one-third of jobs across the island, making the pace of recovery especially significant. Jamaica welcomed 4.3 million visitors in 2024, and tourism officials remain confident the destination is on track for a full recovery by Dec. 2026.
For travelers planning winter trips, the message is practical and immediate. Jamaica is open, major gateways are operating normally, and a spectrum of hotels — from luxury and boutique to all-inclusive stays — are welcoming guests again. The return of more than 300,000 visitors since Hurricane Melissa reflects a destination that has moved from recovery into motion, with the winter season already underway.
