Jamaica on course to recover 88% of its hotel-room capacity by December

October 12, 2026

Jamaica is on course to recover 88 per cent of its hotel-room capacity by December, despite delays in insurance payments and supply-chain challenges following Hurricane Melissa.

Tourism Minister Edmund Bartlett said the figure could have been much higher, if insurance pay-outs were following the pace of the sector’s recovery.

Mr. Bartlett said the country was expected to enter the winter tourist season with approximately 3,000 hotel rooms still out of operation.

He commended stakeholders in the tourism industry such as the Jamaica Tourist Board, small and medium players, and attractions, for contributing to the sector’s recovery efforts.

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Meanwhile, Mr. Bartlett criticized insurance companies for not moving swiftly to make insurance pay-outs.

He said this will further delay the recovery of the sector’s full hotel-room capacity to about may 2027.

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He was speaking at a Jamaica Labour Party area council four meeting yesterday.