Letter of the Day | Is Jamaica getting its fair share from the tourism industry ... ?

THE EDITOR, Madam:

Tourism has been Jamaica’s top foreign exchange earner for years. The industry welcomed 4.3 million visitors in 2024, earning US$4.3 billion, and 3.7 million in 2025, earning US$4.09 billion despite Hurricane Melissa.

The real question: is the country getting its fare share when compared to our Caribbean neighbours?

Recent industry analysis shows that the other Caribbean hotels averaged US$350 a night in 2025, while Jamaica’s average daily rate is about US$287 - more than US$60 below the regional benchmark. Average spending per visitor per night in Jamaica has been flat at US$192. In 2019, it was US$168 - a 14 per cent increase in six years, while inflation in our major source market rose over 25 per cent.

Compare that to our counterparts:

In 2025, Barbados got 707,000 stay-over visitors , average 12 days stay and US&1,980 per trip. There revenue per available room increased by 16 per cent. Jamaica’s is US$1,040.

Turks and Caicos, with about two million visitors a year, posted an average daily rate of US$1,544 in early 2025, the highest in the region. Aruba averaged close to US$400 a night. Even the Bahamas, despite a 2.5 per cent decline in air arrivals, saw a 5.2 per cent increase in tourism receipts because each visitor spent more.

Four reasons Jamaica is getting more people for less money.

The all-inclusive trap

Over 70 per cent of our stopover visitors stay in all-inclusive resorts. The money is paid overseas and only about 40 per cent is sent to the hotel. The hotel has to make 40 per cent flow-through profit from the reduced money received . Most food is imported, top management is imported, profit is repatriated. In Barbados, the model is still European Plan – the tourist must eat, taxi, and tour outside the hotel. The dollar circulates.

Salary and other earnings

Jamaica staff per guest ratio 1.4 Caribbean 1.6, hence the Caribbean employs more persons per guest.

Jamaica per hour rate US$2.80, Caribbean average, US$4.50

A lot of Jamaican hotels do not allow staff to accept tips and, even those that allow don’t get as much as our Caribbean, because the perception in the market places is that Jamaican hotels have a no tipping policy, Jamaican staff make an average of US$1 per guest while the Caribbean, US$5.00 per guest.

Most of Jamaica top management are foreigners, while the Caribbean has less foreign management.

We compete on price, they compete on value. The Dominican Republic has 11.6 million visitors, but they are moving upmarket. Jamaica is moving sideways. As Minister Bartlett himself framed it, we must shift from a visitor economy to a value economy. That means fewer $150-a-night rooms and more $600-a-night authentic luxury. It means selling culture, not just beach.

Linkages and Leakages

The Bank of Jamaica estimates that, for every US$1 earned, up to 50 cents leaves again to pay for goods and services. In Barbados and Aruba, that leakage rate is closer to 30 per cent.

The way forward is not building more rooms. It’s to promote more European-plan concept hotels, establishing a minimum wage for hotel workers using the Caribbean average, mandatory tipping, increase staff guest ratio, employ more locals in top management, mandate and support real linkages - local agriculture supplying hotels, local ownership of attractions, local entertainment and use of local manufacturing goods.

John McIntosh

Hospitality Consultant