Negril at a crossroads
Urgent calls to rescue resort town’s fading magic as tourist season shrinks
Published:Sunday | September 14, 2025 | 12:06 AMJanet Silvera - Sunday Gleaner Writer
WESTERN BUREAU:
Forty years ago, Steven Weinstein first stumbled onto the sands of Negril and found a paradise that would change his life.
Captivated by its seven miles of white sand, rustic charm, and unhurried pace, he returned year after year until, 23 years ago, he gave up the United States to call Negril home. Today, the American-turned-Negril resident speaks with the devotion of a man who has lived his dream and the alarm of one who now sees that dream slipping away.
For Weinstein, Negril is not just a holiday destination; it is the centre of his life. Each morning, he wakes with his dogs by his side, looks out across the Caribbean Sea, and gathers ackee, guinep, soursop, mango, and coconut water from his garden. Yet the town that gave him joy is now at what he calls a crossroads: a once-iconic resort in visible decline, threatened by crumbling infrastructure, shortened tourist seasons, and neglect.
“This report comes not from statistics or distance, but from nearly 40 years of walking Negril’s sands, living among its people, and sharing in both its triumphs and its struggles,” he told The Sunday Gleaner.
The vision he paints is of a Negril restored: where families enjoy sunsets and silky white sand in safety, where reggae thrives through both international artistes and young talent, and where visitors of every generation return again and again.
“Whenever I leave this earth, I’ll know that I lived my dream in Negril and that I gave all my heart and vision to see this town thrive, for its people, for its visitors, and for Jamaica.
But Weinstein did not stop there. His tone shifted from poetic to urgent: “Negril, once Jamaica’s most celebrated destination, is in decline. Tourist seasons have shrunk from five months to barely eight weeks. Infrastructure projects have crumbled or gone unfinished. Entertainment has grown stale, safety is lacking, and younger visitors are not coming in the numbers we need.”
According to Weinstein, Negril is fragile but not lost. With urgent, coordinated action, it can be revived into a sustainable, family-friendly, year-round destination that uplifts both the community and Jamaica’s economy.
He pointed to unfinished sidewalks and drainage projects, dark beachfronts, the lack of festivals beyond a handful of repeating shows, and a visitor base that is ageing out without being replaced by younger generations. He outlines a detailed blueprint for renewal: rebuilding infrastructure, strengthening security, diversifying festivals, empowering hustlers into small businesses, and branding Negril as “Authentic Jamaica, All Year Long”.
Yet the wider picture shows Jamaica is not short of arrivals, although the first six months of the year saw a decline of 1.3 per cent compared to 2024. Sangster International Airport welcomed 446,553 passengers in August 2025, up 5.3 per cent over last year, and nearly 1.74 million international arrivals in the first eight months of this year. Still, Negril hoteliers describe the summer as “rotten”, underscoring Weinstein’s point that the problem is not getting visitors to Jamaica, but convincing them to make the three-to-four-hour trek to Negril.
Jamaica must
market Negril
Weinstein’s alarm resonated with Daniel Grizzle, owner of Charela Inn.
“He is right,” Grizzle said. “We are not doing enough. People don’t first choose a hotel, they choose a destination. Jamaica must market Negril as one of the world’s great beach resorts, because that’s what it is. For 30 years, Seven Mile Beach has been in the world’s top 10.”
For Grizzle, Negril’s greatest strength lies not in rooms or packages, but in human connection.
“Guests don’t return because the hotel rooms are so great. They come back because of the people they meet and the friendships they build. Some have been here 20 or 30 times. That’s the magic.”
But, like Weinstein, he laments the town’s appearance.
“When guests step outside the hotels, they see a filthy, shabby town. We can’t defend that. Without adding one more room, Negril could increase inflows by 50 per cent if the Government simply fixed the basics – sidewalks, Internet, garbage [collection], build a park like Harmony Park in Montego Bay. The individuals are doing their best, but we cannot do it alone.”
Lenbert Williams, a local tour operator, who operates the popular ‘Negril One Love Bus Bar Crawl’, sharpened the call.
“It takes four hours for a tourist to get to Negril [from Sangster International]. That’s a major turn-off. In a survey, 99 per cent of the people we spoke with said they would pay US$100 more for a direct flight. We need that promised airport now. If it takes the Chinese to build, own and operate it for 20 years, so be it. They can get it done in months.”
Williams said new hotels are being built without any new marketing plan, creating oversupply, an issue he described as cannibalisation.
Harassment issue
He, too, noted, “Negril needs a facelift, the sidewalks, the town centre, the harassment issue. Tourists love Negril, but if we don’t act, we will lose them.”
He also welcomed the rise of Airbnb.
“It is not a threat. It’s the future. Thirty-six per cent of visitors stayed in short-term rentals last year, and that will double in seven years. All-inclusives won’t die, but they must reinvent themselves, as Riu has done. People want luxury, yes, but also authenticity. Both can coexist,” said Williams.
And, echoing Weinstein’s call for community focus, Williams said: “Successive governments have been developing Jamaica for tourists, not for Jamaicans. That is the real problem. Fix Jamaica for Jamaicans first, and visitors will come. Jamaica is the greatest little brand in the world, we just need leadership to extract its full potential.”
Dalton ‘Penny’ Hill, who has run the Lighthouse Inn since the 1970s, has lived every stage of Negril’s evolution.
“In the hippie days, families rented out rooms to backpackers. That’s where Negril started,” he recalled. “Back then, government listened. Today, nothing moves. For the past nine to 10 years, Negril has been neglected. We have had crippling water shortages. Garbage is collected sporadically. Street lights don’t work. The town looks like it has been left to rot.”
Hill’s inn survives on loyal repeat visitors from Europe, who treat Negril as a pilgrimage.
“They keep us alive. But after March, business dies. September and October are dead months. Many small operators never recovered from COVID. Financing is impossible, paperwork is punishing, and Kingston makes it harder.”
He said Negril needs a market, a cultural park, and an entertainment zone.
“We were once the reggae capital of Jamaica. Without venues, that reputation is gone. The Tourist Board should market small hotels, too. Not everyone wants an all-inclusive. Some want authenticity and that’s what Negril still offers.
For Weinstein, the stakes could not be clearer.
“Tourism is Negril’s lifeblood, and its health is Jamaica’s health. Every visitor sustains jobs, buys goods, and contributes to the economy. What happens in Negril ripples across Jamaica’s prosperity. Negril is not gone, but the window for renewal is short. The upcoming tourist season demands action. With leadership and vision, Negril can once again rise as the Caribbean’s most authentic cultural destination, a place of sunsets, music, and freedom that inspires the world.”
His vision closes with hope, but not without urgency: “Our reputation for a rustic, relaxing, fun-filled tropical playground must endure. Negril is at a crossroads. Jamaica must decide if it will save it.”
Earlier this year, Tourism Minister Edmund Bartlett reaffirmed the Government’s commitment to the development of Negril, highlighting major infrastructure investments to support the resort town’s role in the island’s tourism growth.
Bartlett outlined a range of transformational projects, including improvements to water supply, roads, and accommodations. These efforts are designed to enhance Negril’s appeal, sustainability, and economic impact.
He noted that Negril contributes 24 per cent of Jamaica’s tourism traffic and earnings, calling it a vital part of the industry. A key initiative is a US$221 million upgrade to the region’s water system – the largest investment of its kind in Jamaica’s history. This project will ensure consistent water access for residents and businesses, paving the way for future expansion.
Additionally, a new bypass road is in the works, linking Montego Bay to Negril while easing congestion in nearby towns. This will improve accessibility for both locals and tourists. The Government has already spent more than $500 million through the Tourism Enhancement Fund to improve local roadways, including the West End stretch.
Negril’s tourism infrastructure will also expand with the upcoming Viva Wyndham Hotel, adding 1,000 rooms to meet growing international demand. Other projects include the revitalisation of Negril Beach Park in the vein of Montego Bay’s Harmony Beach Park, upgrades to the Craft and Artisan Village, and plans for a local airport.
Bartlett praised Negril’s historical role in sustaining Jamaica’s tourism sector in the 1970s and emphasised that these investments will ensure its continued success.