Jamaica tourism: We’re ready for the winter season

Five weeks after getting battered by Hurricane Melissa, Jamaica remains on track to have most of its tourism infrastructure open by Dec. 15, said John Lynch, chairman of the Jamaica Tourist Board.

On Oct. 31, Jamaica minister of tourism Edmund Bartlett set a Dec. 15 target date for Jamaica’s tourism industry to be fully back in operation. The hurricane barreled into Jamaica on Oct. 28.

The Dec. 15 date carries symbolic significance for the tourism industry, Lynch said in an interview here. “December 15 has always been the official start of the winter season,” he said.

To be sure, many hotels that were heavily damaged by the storm’s 185-mile-an-hour winds remain shuttered. But large parts of the 146-mile-long island were relatively unscathed by the hurricane.

Lynch said the storm left behind “pockets” of intense destruction while leaving other adjacent areas unharmed. “This hurricane was very unusual,” he said. “I would say weird.”

In addition to many hotels, the island’s airports and seaports have all reopened. Canada’s WestJet inaugurated new service on Dec. 6 from Quebec to Montego Bay, one of the areas hit hardest by Melissa. The new airlift highlights confidence in Jamaica’s tourism sector, said the Jamaica Tourist Board.

The island’s convention centers have also reopened, including the one in Montego Bay. “We’ve gotten a couple of groups that have canceled or postponed, but we’re working with them,” said Lynch.

Tourism is key to Jamaica’s economy, accounting for about 35% of GDP and directly employing about 200,000 workers, Lynch said.