Tourism Sector Experiencing Strong Rebound Following Hurricane Melissa

Minister of Tourism, Hon. Edmund Bartlett says Jamaica is now experiencing an 80 per cent recovery in visitor arrivals.

The Minister, who made the announcement during the official reopening of Eclipse at Half Moon in Rose Hall, St. James, on Thursday (April 2), said this signals a strong rebound after the devastation of Hurricane Melissa in October 2025.

Mr. Bartlett also credited the recovery in part to the return of more than 200 hotel rooms to the national inventory with Eclipse’s reopening, pointing to renewed global confidence in the country’s hospitality sector.

“The importance of the sector’s recovery after [Hurricane Melissa] is one key word, jobs,” he said, while adding that jobs mean income and economic stability for thousands of Jamaicans.

“So, today’s reopening marks a defining moment in Jamaica’s journey of resilience and renewal,” he added.

The Tourism Minister pointed out that despite the scale of destruction, Jamaica moved quickly to restore its tourism infrastructure. He noted that by mid-December 2025, 72 per cent of the country’s hotel room inventory was back online.

“Despite the impact of Hurricane Melissa, 2025 ended with total visitor arrivals of 3.7 million, comprising 2.6 million stopovers and 1.1 million cruise passengers, generating an estimated US$4.09 billion for Jamaica,” he informed.

In the meantime, Mr. Bartlett stated that the Ministry of Tourism is now advancing a strategy focused on strengthening infrastructure and expanding all-inclusive offerings.

This, he said, includes enhancing destination assurance and pivoting more deliberately toward luxury tourism. He added that the reopening of Eclipse, represents an early step in that strategic shift.

For his part, Half Moon Chairman, Guy Steuart said the journey from disaster to renewal was driven not by plans alone, but by the people who work at the property.

He described watching staff step well outside their job descriptions in the weeks after the storm, picking up machetes, brooms and shovels, volunteering for tasks they were never trained for, all in service of getting the resort back to life.

“I see the pride of accomplishment and the joy of promise, the opportunity to return to what we love to do most, throwing our arms open wide to welcome the world back to the splendour and spirit of Half Moon,” Mr. Steuart stated.

He added that the reopening also introduces 11 renovated villas, each connected to the work of artist Michael Lester. This, he indicated, adds cultural dimension to the resort’s offerings and positions Half Moon as a key hub for luxury and artistic expression along Jamaica’s north coast.