On Oct. 28, Hurricane Melissa made landfall in Jamaica as a strong Class 5 hurricane, the strongest storm to ever hit the island. The slow-moving hurricane pounded the island with winds that reached 185 miles an hour and flooded central Jamaica with two toes of rain.
Understandably, vacationers have been cautious about visiting the island throughout its restoration. Nevertheless, now, lower than two months after Hurricane Melissa touched down, the island is welcoming guests with the message, “Please come go to.”
“We wish guests. Extra importantly, we’re greater than geared up to welcome guests and to provide all of them that they’ve grown accustomed to in Jamaica,” Philip Rose, deputy director of Jamaica tourism, instructed me on a latest video name.
“Whereas Hurricane Melissa was one among our most undesirable guests ever, she got here, she left some injury on the island, however over two-thirds of the island is up working correctly,” he added.
Right here’s what you could know if you wish to journey to Jamaica now.
What to learn about tourism in Jamaica proper now
“All three of the island’s airports are open, 70% of lodges shall be open by Dec. fifteenth; by January, that quantity will go to 80%. And by Could, 100% of properties on the island are anticipated to be open,” mentioned Rose.
One motive tourism is recovering so shortly is that the storm’s trajectory diverged from the initially forecasted path, which might have taken it straight over Kingston, the island’s capital and most closely populated space. As a substitute, the storm’s eye traveled over the less-developed western and southern coasts. And whereas Montego Bay was closely affected and continues to be recovering — together with many farms and residential areas — a lot of the different resort zones on the island have already reopened and are fortunately welcoming company.
In reality, I spoke with Rose whereas he was at a resort in Ochos Rios, the place it was a business-as-usual day on the seaside. I may spot vacationers consuming breakfast at umbrella-shaded tables and heading to the sand and surf simply behind him.
“The easiest of Jamaican spirit has been untouched,” Rose mentioned. “You are still being greeted with that heat hospitality that solely the Jamaicans can do.”
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Tourism, mentioned Rose, accounts for almost a 3rd of the nation’s gross home product, encompassing every part from lodges and eating places to taxi drivers, farmers and fishermen. “So if you wish to assist Jamaica, come go to,” emphasised Rose.
Listed here are some issues to bear in mind whereas planning a visit to Jamaica:
- All three home and worldwide airports on the island are open and operational
- Kingston — dwelling to greater than 90% of Jamaica’s inhabitants — is absolutely functioning, with lodges, eating places, sights, companies, hospitals and cultural websites all open as common
- Main roads, sights and lodges within the well-liked resort areas of Ocho Rios, Portland and the Blue Mountains are open and accessible
- Cruise docks are open and operational, and most cruise traces have resumed port calls
- Many main sights are open and operational, together with Dunn’s River Falls, Mystic Mountain and Yaaman Journey Park
- Nevertheless, many lodges in Montego Bay and the encompassing west coast areas are nonetheless assessing injury and dealing on repairs and should not reopen till Could 2026
You may as well get hold of present experiences from the official Jamaica Vacationer Board web site for up-to-date data.
Resorts in Jamaica
Marika Kessler, CEO of Island Outpost lodges, mentioned the primary day of the storm was tense. “Melissa was presupposed to enter by Kingston and go away by Ochos Rios, and we evacuated our properties with a really heavy coronary heart not figuring out after we would see them or our workers once more,” she mentioned. However when the storm’s path modified, Kessler mentioned that she and Chris Blackwell, founding father of the enduring resort group, have been capable of soar into motion and open all three properties inside six days.
“The vegetation could have been slightly skinny, however the workers may come to work and generate earnings…and each greenback helps the financial system as a complete and finally the aspect of the island that was most affected,” she defined.
As we went to press, 85 of the 114 registered lodges throughout the island are up and working, based on Rose, with extra anticipated to open earlier than Christmas.
Listed here are a number of present updates:
- Spherical Hill Resort & Villas reopened on Dec. 8. In accordance with the property, “The crew has labored with nice care following Hurricane Melissa and is trying ahead to welcoming company again for a significant vacation season.” The resort has a full slate of 2025 vacation programming, together with Christmas and New 12 months’s Eve celebrations.
- Sandals and Seashores Resorts presently has eight resorts throughout Jamaica open: Ocho Rios and Negril, Sandals Dunn’s River, Sandals Royal Plantation, Sandals Ocho Rios, Sandals Negril and Seashores Negril, with all services and facilities accessible to company. The three remaining Sandals resorts in Jamaica — Sandals Montego Bay, Sandals Royal Caribbean, and Sandals South Coast — have an prolonged timeline for enhancements and are scheduled to open on Could 30, 2026, based on the corporate.
- Island Outpost’s three boutique lodges — GoldenEye, Strawberry Hill and The Caves — are absolutely operational, welcoming company, and are “persevering with to supply the immersive, soulful Jamaican experiences for which the model is thought,” mentioned Kessler.
- Jakes Resort, on Treasure Seashore on the southwest nook of the island, is in an space that sustained extra injury, however will reopen its doorways on Dec. 18. In accordance with the property, “The resort reopens at a second when the [Treasure Beach] village is able to welcome company again, when community-supported work is prospering, and when optimism, music, and south-coast daylight really feel significantly significant.”
Associated: What to learn about factors lodges closures in Jamaica following Hurricane Melissa
The way to assist
“We stay in a group as a household,” mentioned Kessler, “and whether or not by means of your go to or your generosity, your help helps Jamaica rise stronger than earlier than.”
For each volunteer alternatives and donations, the official SupportJamaica web page is a good supply of data.
Many properties on the island are additionally providing methods to help restoration by means of their philanthropic arms. Island Outpost is collaborating with native companions by means of its GoldenEye Basis to offer direct help to households most severely affected by the storm. Vacationers who want to contribute could donate through goldeneyefoundation.org. The Sandals Basis, the philanthropic arm of Sandals Resorts Worldwide, can be accumulating donations that straight fund reduction and rebuilding initiatives for the island by means of sandalsfoundation.org.
Backside line
When you’ve been contemplating visiting Jamaica however have been involved about whether or not tourism is up and working and lodges are operational, know that a lot of the island is open and ready for guests to return. “The folks need you to return,” mentioned Kessler of Island Outpost, “they wish to present we’re nonetheless right here.”
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