Hotelier Chris Jarrett elected JHTA president, promises inclusive leadership and broader advocacy
Published:Saturday | June 28, 2025 | 6:23 PM
Veteran Kingston hotelier Chris Jarrett is the new president of the Jamaica Hotel and Tourist Association (JHTA), a key lobby group in the tourism sector.
He was elected unopposed during the organisation’s 64th Annual General Meeting at the Dreams Rose Hall Resort and Spa in Montego Bay on Saturday.
Jarrett, a player in the industry for more than three decades, succeeds Robin Russell, who served the association for the past three years and was widely credited with steering the sector through some of the post-pandemic challenges.
“My outlook for Jamaica's tourism product is positive,” Jarrett told The Gleaner, noting that the recent downgrade of the United States travel advisory from Level 3 to Level 2 is expected to help reverse its earlier negative impact.
“Crime statistics are showing a reduction in violent crime, and murders specifically are on the decline. This augurs well for the industry, especially for the hubs of Kingston and Montego Bay," he said.
Jarrett also pointed to promising regional dynamics that favour Caribbean destinations, including Jamaica. “With global instability, particularly in the Eastern Bloc, and strained geopolitical relationships, we expect an uptick in travel to the Caribbean,” he said, adding that fallout from the US-Canada trade tensions could shift some Canadian travel towards the region as well.
Noting Jamaica’s global leadership in tourism resilience, Jarrett highlighted the country's 9.6 per cent increase in gross tourism earnings and a 5.3 per cent rise in tourist arrivals in 2024 over the previous year.
Jarrett says he intends to make the association more inclusive, focusing on expanding its membership base and improving public understanding of its advocacy efforts.
“I’ve always been committed to service in the tourism space, so I think this was a natural progression,” he told The Gleaner when asked if he had envisaged taking up the role as leader of the association. “I hope to be able to make the positive changes expected by our membership base and stakeholders as we continue our tourism journey.”
A longtime advocate for fairness in the tourism economy, Jarrett reaffirmed his commitment to pushing for legislation to regulate short-term rental platforms like Airbnb.
“This is not a personal issue,” he stressed, “but more about echoing the voices of the members we represent. We need a level playing field for all industry players.”
Jarrett and his family own and operate three hotels in Jamaica: Altamont Court in Kingston, Altamont West, and the recently opened Hotel 39, on Montego Bay’s famed Hip Strip.
His new executive includes, 1st vice president, O’Brian Herron, general manager, Sandals South Coast; 2nd vice president, Kerry-Ann Quallo-Casserly, regional commercial director of sales, Blue Diamond Resorts; 3rd vice president, Vana Taylor, manager, Sunflower Villas and Fisherman Point and 4th vice president, Nadine Spence, managing director, Sixt Rent A Car.
Beyond his new role at the JHTA, Jarrett also serves as Director and Honorary Secretary of the Jamaica Chamber of Commerce and is Chairman of the JHTA’s Kingston Chapter.
He sits on several national tourism committees through the Tourism Product Development Company, where he contributes to initiatives on product quality, tourism training, visitor safety, and human resource development.
Jarrett is married to Nicole Day and is the father of two children.
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