Jamaica focusing attention on rebuilding stronger tourism sector following hurricane

Excerpt from sknvibes.com

Speaking at the 44th Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association Marketplace in Antigua and Barbuda, Jamaica's Minister of Tourism Edmund Bartlett outlined how the country is rebuilding after Hurricane Melissa, which caused an estimated USD $12.2 billion in damages, equivalent to 57 percent of GDP, with tourism alone accounting for USD $8.8 billion in losses.

The strategy reconsiders coastal development: new construction will move further inland while the oceanfront is dedicated to tourism activities, and a new maritime tourism corridor is planned in the northwest near the Palladium Hotel. Bartlett also signalled a stronger pivot to luxury tourism in the northeast around Port Antonio, supported by new ports and a planned airport at Vernon Field, framing resilience as a function of institutional capacity, building standards and education rather than wishful thinking.