Jamaica has clocked 2.34 million visitors through the end of August 2026 and pulled in $2.5 billion in tourism earnings — and it has done so while running on roughly 70% of its pre-hurricane hotel room stock. Hurricane Melissa, which struck the island in October 2025, knocked out nearly a third of the country's accommodation capacity, yet demand has barely flinched.

The missing 30% of rooms are slated to come back by the end of 2026 or early 2027, which is shaping up to be good timing. The comeback is already visible: Montego Bay's landmark Half Moon resort has reopened after a full restoration, and five Marriott-affiliated Royalton properties across Negril and Montego Bay have been returning to service.

There's a bigger wave behind them. Sandals is pouring $200 million into three of its Jamaican resorts — Sandals Montego Bay, Sandals South Coast and the former Sandals Royal Caribbean, which will relaunch as Sandals Caribbean Cay. Several Hyatt all-inclusives are targeting first-quarter 2027 reopenings. For anyone eyeing a winter sun break, that means a lot more choice (and potentially sharper prices) than earlier in the year.

Getting there keeps getting easier, too. Airlines have been quietly expanding service to the island, with a strong Canadian push: Porter Airlines is launching new Montego Bay routes from Toronto, Ottawa and Hamilton, Air Canada has added flights from Edmonton and Winnipeg, and Southwest is restoring its seasonal Nashville–Montego Bay route next spring. Tourism Minister Edmund Bartlett called the performance evidence of robust demand despite the reduced room stock, and tourism director Donovan White credits travellers' appetite with keeping airlines, cruise lines and tour operators committed to the island.

Why it matters: if you've been waiting on a Jamaica trip because your favourite resort was closed, the winter 2026–27 season is when the island is essentially back at full strength — with some properties, like Sandals Caribbean Cay, essentially offering something new. Travellers who book early for the winter season stand to benefit from the reopened inventory before demand catches up.

Reporting by Caribbean Journal.