Negril missing out on Sumfest boom, claims former chamber president
Published:Saturday | July 19, 2025 | 12:08 AM
WESTERN BUREAU:
As Reggae Sumfest fuels a tourism surge across Montego Bay in St James and the northwestern coast, Negril hotelier and former president of the Negril Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Richard Wallace, is raising red flags about a worrying dip in business at smaller accommodations in the resort town.
“What I’ve found is that a lot of the smaller properties in Negril are not seeing the boom that we have received in previous years,” Wallace told The Gleaner as he weighed in on the impact of the weeklong music festival being staged in Montego Bay.
While Jamaica is experiencing strong arrival numbers and hotel bookings linked to Sumfest, Wallace said the economic benefits are not being felt equally in Negril, located in Westmoreland, particularly among smaller operators.
“I know that probably the large all-inclusive are probably doing high occupancies as normal, but we’re not feeling it in Negril, really, in the smaller properties. I’m not feeling it,” he said. “And, you know, it raises some alarms as to what’s happening and what we need to do as a town to increase our marketability.”
Drawing comparisons between Negril and its bustling neighbour to the east, Wallace pointed out that the disparity in occupancy levels is not coincidental.
MARKET TRENDS
“I know that Montego Bay is booming, and Montego Bay hotels are packed. Obviously, Montego Bay has mostly large all-inclusives, which is what the market at this time of year tends to favour.”
He, however, insists that Negril should not be left out.
“We need to do better for Negril. We need to upgrade and have some better offerings in Negril for things to do and entertainment, like back in the day, so that we can attract more people coming and staying down here,” Wallace said.
He also highlighted a key challenge, the poor road infrastructure linking Montego Bay to Negril. Wallace argued that the lengthy and uncomfortable journey discourages many visitors from staying in Negril during major events like Sumfest.
“One of the issues that need to be addressed as well is the time it takes to drive from Montego Bay to Negril,” he said, citing pothole-riddled roadways and traffic bottlenecks as major deterrents.
“If it was a smoother drive, a shorter time, a lot more people would stay in Negril and drive to MoBay for the events there. But because it can take you up to three hours sometimes, depending on traffic, it’s a big turn-off,” Wallace said. “So they just stay in MoBay, stay close to the airport, close to all the attractions on that side.”
Negril is known for its charming boutique hotels and natural attractions. However, Wallace is calling for greater focus on its revitalisation to ensure its continued relevance in Jamaica’s competitive tourism market.