Jamaica closed three days of high-level engagements at FITUR 2026 with renewed momentum behind its tourism recovery, securing stronger alignment with major hotel partners, deeper coordination with airlift and marketing stakeholders, and growing investor interest in aviation and destination development.
The most significant outcome came on Day 3 of the international tourism trade fair when UN Tourism officially designated Jamaica as the Tourism Resilience Hub of the World, recognizing the country’s leadership in crisis preparedness, recovery, and sustainable tourism development.
The announcement marked a major global endorsement of Jamaica’s resilience-driven tourism strategy, which focuses on protecting livelihoods, restoring room inventory, strengthening airlift performance, and mobilizing investment for climate-smart and shock-resilient infrastructure—particularly across the island’s eastern and southern parishes.
“Jamaica is not simply recovering—we are rebuilding with purpose,” said Minister of Tourism, Hon. Edmund Bartlett. “Resilience is now the foundation of investor confidence and community protection. We are inviting development partners such as CAF and the private sector to accelerate resilient infrastructure and reimagine the tourism product.”
Accelerating Hotel Reopenings and Workforce Protection
During FITUR, Jamaica pressed hotel partners to accelerate reopening timelines and strengthen worker-support mechanisms as properties restore inventory. In meetings with Grupo Piñero and Hyatt leadership, the Jamaican delegation highlighted the economic impact of approximately 1,000 rooms currently offline in the Montego Bay area, emphasizing the urgency of faster reopenings.
Discussions focused on practical enablers, including the mobilization of skilled labor, improved import logistics, and administrative support. The parties agreed to prioritize earlier reopening where feasible and confirmed plans for a follow-up visit to Jamaica involving Hyatt, Bahía Príncipe, and Tortuga intereststo finalize reopening schedules and explore expansion opportunities.
In separate talks with Bahía Príncipe, Jamaica advanced its Local First strategy, aimed at increasing local procurement and tourism dollar retention. Bahía indicated plans for a phased reopening of approximately 50% of room stock (around 650 rooms) by May, with the remaining rooms targeted for November. Jamaica will continue encouraging earlier reopening timelines due to employment and economic considerations.
Royalton Resortsalso provided updates on reopening and expansion plans, including initiatives designed to preserve workforce continuity and enhance training and upskilling during downtime.
Strengthening Airlift and Demand Recovery
With room inventory gradually returning, Jamaica moved to reinforce airlift and demand-generation strategies. In discussions with TUI Group, CEO Sebastian Ebeloutlined the company’s global outlook amid market uncertainty and its expansion into emerging growth markets, including Eastern Europe and South America.
The Jamaican delegation secured agreement for closer coordination between TUI and the Jamaica Tourist Board (JTB) Europe team, with a focus on digital marketing, emerging platforms, and synchronized demand-building efforts.
“Recovery is demand plus supply,” said Donovan White, Director of Tourism. “Inventory must return, but confidence must return faster. At FITUR, we strengthened airlift and marketing alignment in Europe to ensure Jamaica remains visible and bookable as rooms come back online.”
TUI also expressed interest in reviewing greenfield hotel investment opportunities, particularly sites located near major airports.
Expanding Investment Beyond Hotels
Beyond accommodations, Jamaica advanced discussions on airport modernization and development, aligned with the Government’s broader destination reimagining agenda. In talks with the Reyes Group, proposals were reviewed for upgrading airport systems, including potential opportunities in Westmoreland and Clarendon, with further engagement to be elevated at the ministerial level.
Jamaica also promoted new tourism investment opportunities across its eastern and southern parishes, consistent with national efforts to diversify the tourism footprint through sustainable, community-linked projects.
Global Leadership in Tourism Resilience
On Day 3 of FITUR, Minister Bartlett presented Jamaica’s tourism recovery experience, underscoring the importance of resilience investment and national preparedness. He referenced the country’s response following Hurricane Melissa, which disrupted access to basic necessities for approximately 1.5 million people over nearly 60 days, and highlighted Jamaica’s role in establishing February 17 as Global Tourism Resilience Day, with a proposed observance in Nairobi, Kenya next month.
“UN Tourism’s announcement confirms what we have been building for years,” Bartlett said. “As the Tourism Resilience Hub of the World, Jamaica will help shape the tools, partnerships, and best practices that enable destinations to recover faster and grow stronger after shocks.”
In the weeks ahead, Jamaica will advance follow-up engagements to accelerate hotel reopenings, expand worker-support solutions, coordinate investor site visits, and develop a resilience-focused financing pipelinewith partners including CAF – Development Bank of Latin America and the Caribbean.
Leave a Comment