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Tourism Minister Hon. Edmund Bartlett said the restart plan will be monitored closely, with regular public updates from the Ministry to provide clarity for workers, partners, and the market.
The Hurricane Melissa Recovery Task Force, chaired by John Byles, Executive Deputy Chairman of Chukka Caribbean Adventures, will oversee the operational restart. Members include Hon. Tova Hamilton, Minister of State in the Ministry of Tourism; Professor Lloyd Waller of the Global Tourism Resilience and Crisis Management Centre (GTRCMC); and Jennifer Griffith, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Tourism. Senior industry figures serving on the Task Force include Sandals Resorts International Executive Chairman Adam Stewart; Tourism Product Development Company (TPDCo) Board Chairman Ian Dear; Jamaica Tourist Board (JTB) Director of Tourism Donovan White; Sandals Chief Experience Officer Jessica Shannon; and Jamaica Hotel and Tourist Association (JHTA) President Christopher Jarrett. Additional members represent TPDCo, the Tourism Enhancement Fund, Arya Holding Jamaica, and the Ministry’s communications team.
The Task Force will prioritise assessments, product rehabilitation, and service readiness across resorts, attractions, airports, cruise ports, and tourism corridors. It is also responsible for addressing bottlenecks, coordinating repairs, and preparing go-to-market readiness to restore service quality and visitor confidence.
The Tourism Resilience Coordination Committee, known as “Tourism Cares” and chaired by Jessica Shannon, will focus on support for affected workers, MSMEs, and tourism communities. Members include JHTA President Christopher Jarrett; Nicola Madden-Greig of Courtleigh Hospitality Group; JTB regional directors for the UK, Canada, the United States and the Americas; Jamaica Vacations; and representatives from Jamaica Customs, Inverotel, and the Ministry’s communications team. The committee will route financial and material assistance through supportjamaica.gov.jm, in alignment with the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management.
Key areas of alignment between the two bodies include market reassurance, product restoration, and support for local suppliers and tourism-dependent communities. This includes fast-tracking repairs of tourism infrastructure, and facilitating support to help small businesses return to operations
Both committees will work with the Global Tourism Resilience and Crisis Management Centre (GTRCMC) to apply lessons learned from previous recoveries, including the post-pandemic restart, to strengthen the coordination and resilience of the sector.
For travel and hospitality professionals monitoring the Caribbean market, the December 2025 target provides a clear timeline for expected restoration of Jamaica’s tourism capacity, with structured mechanisms now in place to guide the recovery and support the wider ecosystem.
Tags: Hurricane Melissa, Edmund Bartlett Jamaica Tourist Board
