Bartlett says no evidence of systemic rebookings away from Jamaica

The Jamaican government is hoping for a rebound in the travel market, which took a hit during and after Hurricane Melissa.

“The winter season outlook remains broadly positive,” said Tourism Minister Edmund Bartlett.

Jamaica’s brand remains strong, airlift solid, and demand resilient, with all major hotel investments still on schedule, he added.

Bartlett recently conducted inspection tours of Ocho Rios, Negril and Montego Bay. Most hotels, attractions and services are ready to welcome guests for the peak winter season, he said. Consequently, government will “reopen” the destination on December 15, which is the kick-off date for the winter tourist season.

Traffic through Jamaica’s two largest airports dropped steeply in October Montego Bay recorded a 17.6 per cent decline in passenger volumes and Kingston fell 13 per cent, compared with a year earlier, according to the Pacific Airport Group, which controls the two airports. Some 74,300 fewer passengers transited Jamaica that month, underscoring the storm’s immediate impact.

Montego Bay did even worse in November, losing three-quarters of its traffic flows, which fell from more than 373,000 to just over 99,000, while Kingston nudged its numbers more than two per cent higher.

Dominican Republic, meanwhile, has moved quickly to capture displaced demand. Reports indicate that the country authorised 800 additional flights over eight months, and hotel occupancy in Punta Cana and Santo Domingo have exceeded 95 per cent heading into the holiday season.

However, Bartlett dismissed concerns of a broad rebooking trend away from Jamaica.

“It is important to know that published airline seat capacity does not equate one-for-one with landed passengers for any destination,” he told the Financial Gleaner, adding that he was “not aware of any coordinated move by a major airline, tour operator, or hotel partners to systematically rebook guests out of Jamaica”.

Kingston’s airport projects passenger traffic is projected to increase by four per cent in 2025, compared with 2024, despite the fallout from Hurricane Melissa. It wasn’t immediately clear the forecast for the busier Montego Bay-based airport which, prior to Melissa, was already underperforming 2024 passenger traffic levels by 2.5 per cent.

“Based on the information we have, we do not expect any material long-term impact on Jamaica’s tourism performance,” Bartlett said.

“Our focus is clear – we are reopening the destination on December 15, and the vast majority of our partners are planning for that date and beyond,” he said.

steven.jackson@gleanerjm.com