Holness: Moon Palace Grand signals Jamaica’s stability, growth potential
Published:Monday | August 18, 2025 | 12:06 AMJanet Silvera/Gleaner Writer
WESTERN BUREAU:
Prime Minister Dr Andrew Holness says the US$700-million Moon Palace Grand Montego Bay is a testament to Jamaica’s stability as an investment destination.
He has credited deliberate government policies for creating an environment where local and international investors can take calculated risks with confidence.
Speaking at the groundbreaking in Success, St James last on August 11, Holness noted that the Urban Development Corporation (UDC) strategically divested 20 per cent of its land holdings to unlock private-sector growth, with the Moon Palace site part of that initiative.
The prime minister stressed that new hotel projects must go beyond guest amenities to address long-standing worker housing shortages. For decades, many northcoast tourism workers have endured long commutes from their communities. The Moon Palace project will provide 500 apartment units, upgraded daycare facilities, and other community infrastructure.
“It is important that when we think about tourism, we think about the whole of tourism from the inception,” Holness said. “The smile in hospitality must be genuine, and that means ensuring workers have a bed to go home to after making the beds in hotels.”
Holness also welcomed the resort’s commitment to enhancing Success Beach as a public access facility, a sensitive national issue given past limitations on locals’ free access to prime coastline. He said partnerships with the Tourism Enhancement Fund would ensure beaches are developed “adequate in size and service for the public”.
The prime minister further urged that Jamaica’s tourism model avoid labour exploitation, calling for hoteliers to invest in staff training, fair wages, and productivity-linked incentives. With unemployment at 3.3 per cent, Holness said sustained job creation through tourism could transform household incomes over generations.