Ja recovers 70% of tourism room stock hit by Melissa, over 11,000 more expected back by 2027

Jamaica has recovered approximately 70 per cent of its tourism room stock affected by Hurricane Melissa, with more than 11,000 rooms expected to return to service between this year and 2027.

The disclosure was made this morning by Deputy Director of Tourism for the Americas, Phillip Rose, as he addressed the official opening of the Jamaica Product Exchange (JAPEX) at Moon Palace Jamaica in Ocho Rios, St Ann.

Rose said the remaining 30 per cent of the affected room stock is expected to return largely by early 2027, providing a significant boost to the country’s accommodation capacity as visitor demand continues to recover.

Among the properties scheduled to return are Zoëtry, with 49 rooms expected in October, and the 392-room Sandals South Coast in November.

Just over 1,900 additional rooms are expected to return in December, including Bahia Principe, Sandals Montego Bay, Sandals Royal Caribbean, and Iberostar’s Rose Hall operation.

A further surge is expected during the first quarter of 2027, when just under 3,500 rooms are projected to return to the market.

Those include the Catalonia (formerly Holiday Inn), Hyatt Ziva Rose Hall, Hyatt Zilara Rose Hall, Jewel Grande, Secrets St James, Secrets Wild Orchid and Breathless Montego Bay.

Rose described the pace of the recovery as remarkable.

“Overall, we have over 11,000 more rooms coming back on stream between 2026 and 2027,” he told tourism stakeholders, international media, tour operators and travel advisers attending JAPEX.

His comments were bolstered by Jamaica Hotel and Tourist Association (JHTA) President O’Brian Heron, who said the industry’s recovery from Hurricane Melissa must go beyond simply restoring the tourism plant that was damaged or taken out of service.

“Resilience is not simply about recovering. It is truly about what comes next,” Heron told JAPEX delegates, noting that tourism businesses had rebuilt, reinvested and continued moving forward in the aftermath of the hurricane.

He said the recovery is taking place as global tourism itself is changing, challenging Jamaica to remain competitive and relevant while preserving the authenticity that distinguishes the destination.

JAPEX is being staged by the Jamaica Hotel and Tourist Association in partnership with the Jamaica Tourist Board.

janet.silvera@gleanerjm.com

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