On October 28, Hurricane Melissa It made landfall in Jamaica as a powerful Category 5 hurricane, the strongest storm to ever hit the island. The slow-moving hurricane hit the island with winds reaching 185 miles per hour and inundated central Jamaica with two feet of rain.
Travelers have understandably been cautious about visiting the island during its recovery. But now, less than two months after Hurricane Melissa made landfall, the island welcomes visitors with the message: “Please come visit us.”
“We want visitors. More importantly, we are more than equipped to welcome visitors and provide them with everything they have become accustomed to in Jamaica,” Philip Rose, Jamaica’s deputy director of tourism, told me on a recent video call.
“While Hurricane Melissa was one of the most unwelcome visitors in our history, it came and left some damage on the island, but more than two-thirds of the island is functioning properly,” he added.
Here’s what you need to know if you want to travel to Jamaica now.
What to know about tourism in Jamaica right now
“All three airports on the island are open, 70% of the hotels will be open by December 15; by January, that number will reach 80%. And by May, 100% of the properties on the island are expected to be open,” Rose said.
One of the reasons tourism is recovering so quickly is that the storm’s path deviated from what was originally predicted, which would have taken it directly over Kingston, the island’s capital and most populated area. Instead, the eye of the storm moved over the less developed western and southern coasts. And while Montego Bay was hit hard and is still recovering (along with many farms and residential areas), most of the island’s other hotel zones have already reopened and are happily welcoming guests.
In fact, I spoke with Rose while she was at a resort in Ochos Rios, where it was a beach day as usual. I could see travelers having breakfast at tables with umbrellas and heading to the sand and surfing right behind it.
“The best of the Jamaican spirit has not been touched,” Rose said. “They still greet you with that warm hospitality that only Jamaicans can provide.”
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Tourism, Rose said, accounts for nearly a third of the country’s gross domestic product and ranges from hotels and restaurants to taxi drivers, farmers and fishermen. “So if you want to help Jamaica, come visit us,” Rose emphasized.
Here are some things to keep in mind when planning a trip to Jamaica:
- The island’s three national and international airports are open and operational.
- Kingston, home to more than 90% of Jamaica’s population, is fully operational, with hotels, restaurants, attractions, businesses, hospitals and cultural sites open as usual.
- Major roads, attractions and hotels in the popular tourist areas of Ocho Rios, Portland and the Blue Mountains are open and accessible.
- Cruise ship docks are open and operational, and most cruise lines have resumed port calls.
- Many major attractions are open and operating, including Dunn’s River Falls, Mystic Mountain, and Yaaman Adventure Park.
- However, many hotels in Montego Bay and surrounding areas of the West Coast are still assessing damage and working on repairs and may not reopen until May 2026.
You can also get updated reports from Official website of the Jamaica Tourist Board for updated information.
Hotels in Jamaica
Marika Kessler, CEO of Island Outpost Hotels, said the first day of the storm was tense. “Melissa was supposed to enter through Kingston and exit through Ochos Rios, and we evacuated our properties with heavy hearts not knowing when we would see them or our staff again,” he said. But when the storm’s path changed, Kessler said she and Chris Blackwell, founder of the iconic hotel group, were able to spring into action and open all three properties within six days.
“The vegetation may have been a little sparse, but the staff could come to work and generate income… and every dollar helps the economy as a whole and ultimately the side of the island most affected,” he explained.
At press time, 85 of the 114 registered hotels islandwide are operational, according to Rose, with more expected to open before Christmas.
Here are some current updates:
- Round Hill Hotel and Villas It reopened its doors on December 8. According to the property, “the team has worked with great care following Hurricane Melissa and looks forward to welcoming guests back for a meaningful holiday season.” The resort has a full holiday schedule for 2025, including Christmas and New Year’s Eve celebrations.
- Resorts in Sandals and Beaches It currently has eight resorts open in Jamaica: Ocho Rios and Negril, Sandals Dunn’s River, Sandals Royal Plantation, Sandals Ocho Rios, Sandals Negril and Beaches Negril, with all facilities and amenities available to guests. The three remaining Sandals resorts in Jamaica (Sandals Montego Bay, Sandals Royal Caribbean and Sandals South Coast) have an extended timeline for improvements and are scheduled to open on May 30, 2026, according to the company.
- Island Outpost Three boutique hotels – GoldenEye, Strawberry Hill and The Caves – are fully operational, welcoming guests and “continuing to offer the immersive and soulful Jamaican experiences the brand is known for,” Kessler said.
- Jakes Hotel, at Treasure Beach in the southwest corner of the island, is in an area that suffered the most damage, but will reopen on December 18. According to the property, “the hotel reopens at a time when the [Treasure Beach] “The town is ready to welcome guests back, when community-supported work is thriving and when the optimism, music and sunshine of the south coast feel particularly meaningful.”
Related: What to know about the closure of points hotels in Jamaica after Hurricane Melissa
how to help
“We live in a community as a family,” Kessler said, “and whether through your visit or your generosity, your support helps Jamaica rise stronger than before.”
For both volunteer opportunities and donations, the official Jamaica Support Page It is a great source of information.
Many properties on the island are also offering ways to support recovery through their philanthropic arms. Island Outpost is collaborating with local partners through its GoldenEye Foundation to provide direct support to families most severely affected by the storm. Travelers who wish to contribute can donate through goldeneyefoundation.org. The Sandals Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Sandals Resorts International, is also raising donations that directly fund relief and rebuilding initiatives for the island through sandalsfoundation.org.
In a nutshell
If you’ve been considering visiting Jamaica but are worried about whether tourism is working and hotels are operational, know that much of the island is open and waiting for visitors to return. “People want you to come,” said Island Outpost’s Kessler, “they want to show that we’re still here.”
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