80,000 tourism workers back on the job after Melissa

WESTERN BUREAU:
Jamaica's tourism sector is expected to recover more than 80 per cent of its hotel room capacity by this summer, as the industry continues its rebound from the devastation caused by Hurricane Melissa.

Tourism Minister Edmund Bartlett, making his contribution to the 2026-2027 Sectoral Debate in the House of Representatives yesterday, said approximately 5,648 hotel rooms are scheduled to return to inventory during 2026, while more than 80,000 hotel workers have already resumed employment as properties reopen across the island. 

"And while capacity constraints remain real, the recovery is moving with purpose," Bartlett said, noting that hotel capacity was projected to recover to more than 80 per cent by summer 2026. 

The minister said the return of hotel rooms was significant not only for the industry but also for thousands of families whose livelihoods depend on tourism.

"Rooms came back into inventory, but more importantly, jobs came back into Jamaican households," he said. 

Hurricane Melissa, which struck the island on October 28, 2025, disrupted what Bartlett described as a period of strong growth for the tourism industry.

Before the storm, visitor arrivals were tracking approximately two per cent ahead of projections, while tourism earnings were running about five per cent above expectations. 

Despite the setback, Bartlett argued that the hurricane demonstrated the resilience of Jamaica's tourism sector, which officially reopened on December 15, 2025.

"That date was more than a reopening. It was a signal to the world: Jamaica was ready. Jamaica was resilient. Jamaica was rising again," he said. 

Bartlett paid tribute to tourism workers, hotel operators and industry partners who he said helped to restore the sector following the storm.

"I am especially moved by the selflessness of tourism workers who restored hotels, shops and attractions, even as their own homes suffered damage," Bartlett said. 

He noted that hotels across the island accommodated displaced workers, emergency personnel and relief teams while also providing grants, building materials and other support to affected employees. 

Bartlett said recovery efforts were coordinated through the Tourism Recovery Task Force and the Jamaica Tourism Cares Committee, which mobilised more than 500 pallets of relief supplies and approximately US$15 million in in-kind assistance. 

The Government also launched the J$2-billion Tourism Housing Assistance Recovery Programme (THARP) to assist tourism workers whose homes were damaged or destroyed by the hurricane. The programme provides non-repayable grants of J$100,000 along with building materials to eligible beneficiaries. 

Bartlett's update came days after Opposition Spokesman on Tourism Andrea Purkiss questioned the effectiveness of the THARP, arguing during her sectoral presentation that many affected tourism workers were still awaiting assistance months after Hurricane Melissa.

In response, Bartlett disclosed that 1,500 tourism workers had already received vouchers under the J$2-billion programme, while hundreds of additional applications remained under review.

He said the sector's recovery underscored tourism's importance to the wider economy, describing it as a platform for jobs, entrepreneurship, foreign exchange earnings and community development.

janet.silvera@gleanerjm.com