Jamaica Aligns With Mexico and the Caribbean to Rebuild Tourism After Catastrophic Storms

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Jamaica faces recovery pressures similar to Mexico, as hotel reconstruction lags significantly behind the return of flights, cruise ports, and tourist demand.As Jamaica is about to enter into a hectic winter travel season with some resorts being shut down, the momentum is building up in the Guerrero region of Mexico as Acapulco increases its room availability. Both Grenada and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines are also recovering from hurricane-related infrastructure damages in their tourism industry.

As of 3 October 2026, Jamaica remains open to travellers, but part of its hotel network is still unavailable almost one year after Hurricane Melissa. Mexico’s Acapulco, meanwhile, has restored close to 90% of its pre-Hurricane Otis hotel capacity. Grenada and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines are also rebuilding tourism-linked infrastructure damaged by Hurricane Beryl. The story is clear. Tourist demand can return quickly, but rebuilding hotels, utilities and businesses can take years.

Jamaica Faces a Crucial Winter Test After Hurricane Melissa

Jamaica has made major progress, but the recovery is not complete. The Jamaica Tourist Board says all cruise ports and international and domestic airports are operational. Most resort areas are also welcoming visitors. Yet some properties remain under repair.

The Associated Press reported this week that about 20 hotels remain closed nearly a year after Hurricane Melissa. The Category Five storm caused an estimated US$12 billion in damage. The northwest of Jamaica suffered some of the worst effects.

Hotel capacity matters because Jamaica’s winter tourist season begins on 15 December. Tourism officials expect the island to start that season with around 80% of its formal accommodation capacity available.

That means Jamaica is open. But it is not yet completely restored.

Thousands of Jamaica Hotel Rooms Are Still Coming Back

Official figures show the scale of the challenge.

Hurricane Melissa initially removed around 15,000 hotel rooms from service. About 6,000 had returned by September, leaving roughly 9,000 still to come back. Tourism officials expect the remaining capacity to return mainly during the first months of 2027.

Another government update said more than 11,000 rooms are expected to return to tourism inventory across 2026 and 2027. Officials said the country had achieved roughly 70% recovery, with the remaining portion expected to reopen during early 2027. The figures use different recovery measures, so they should not be treated as identical statistics.

Several major hotels remain on future reopening schedules. Sandals Montego Bay and Sandals Royal Caribbean are listed for 18 December 2026. Bahia Principe Grand Jamaica is scheduled for 1 December. Jewel Grande, Hyatt Ziva, Hyatt Zilara, Secrets St. James and Secrets Wild Orchid are listed for reopening in 2027.

Key Tourism Recovery Details Across Storm Hit Destinations

Sources: Jamaica Tourism Board, Jamaica Information Service, Guerrero Government, FONATUR, World Bank and Grenada Climate Resilience Portal.

Mexico’s Guerrero Shows How a Major Resort Can Fight Back

Mexico offers one of the strongest comparisons with Jamaica.

Acapulco suffered enormous destruction when Hurricane Otis hit in October 2023. Yet the city has steadily rebuilt its hotel industry.

By July 2026, Acapulco had 17,555 operational hotel rooms across 313 hotels. Guerrero officials said that represented close to 90% of the hotel capacity available before Otis.

Demand has also moved sharply upwards.

FONATUR reported 3,527,657 hotel tourists in Acapulco between January and June 2026. That was 26.3% higher than the same period in 2025. Hotel occupancy reached 49.6%, three percentage points above the previous year.

Across Guerrero, more than 5.55 million tourists arrived during the first half of 2026. Tourism spending exceeded 45 billion Mexican pesos, according to state authorities.

Guerrero therefore shows what Jamaica may experience next: hotel rooms return first, then stronger visitor flows can follow.

Insurance Delays Add Another Layer to Jamaica’s Recovery

Jamaica faces one problem that is especially serious: insurance settlements.

More than 61% of tourism claimants surveyed by the Jamaica Hotel and Tourist Association were still awaiting full settlements, according to AP. More than eight in ten association members had submitted property or business-interruption claims after Melissa.

Some businesses say large deductions have reduced the money available for rebuilding. Nearly one-third of surveyed claimants reported deductions exceeding 40% of claim value.

Insurers say commercial hotel claims can be complicated. They also point to a shortage of licensed property adjusters and the time needed to calculate lost business income.

The result matters to travellers. A delayed insurance settlement can mean delayed construction. Delayed construction can keep hotel rooms outside the market for longer.

Grenada Is Still Rebuilding Carriacou After Beryl

Grenada provides another powerful example of how hurricane damage can reshape tourism for years.

Hurricane Beryl devastated Carriacou in July 2024. Grenada’s Climate Resilience Portal says the hurricane wiped out approximately 98% of Carriacou’s infrastructure, including tourism facilities and its developing yachting sector.

Recovery work continued during 2026. Projects have included stronger water systems and new storage infrastructure. Government-linked climate programmes describe the work as part of the island’s continuing recovery from Beryl.

This does not mean all of Grenada faces Jamaica’s hotel situation. Mainland Grenada has a much broader functioning tourism industry. The comparison is strongest in Carriacou, where rebuilding damaged infrastructure remains a long-term challenge.

Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Shows the Scale of Island Recovery

Saint Vincent and the Grenadines also remains an important part of this Caribbean recovery story.

The World Bank says Hurricane Beryl affected about 56% of the national population. In the Southern Grenadines, more than 90% of buildings were heavily damaged or destroyed. Estimated economic losses reached around US$230 million, equal to about 22% of GDP.

Union Island was among the hardest-hit areas.

Recovery has involved homes, electricity networks, schools, businesses and critical infrastructure. A US$63 million recovery programme was launched to support livelihoods and rebuild stronger infrastructure.

Like Grenada, this is not an exact copy of Jamaica’s hotel and insurance crisis. But it shows how tourism-dependent islands can remain in rebuilding mode long after flights and visitors return.

Storm Recovery Is Creating a New Tourism Reality

Jamaica, Mexico, Grenada and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines reveal the same basic lesson.

A destination can reopen before its recovery is finished.

The success story of Jamaica proves that getting a place open is not all there is to do. It takes time for hotels and their employees to recover from a major natural disaster. Guerrero in Mexico seems to offer a brighter future for the tourism industry, as Acapulco increases its number of available rooms and guests. Grenada and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines are also reconstructing important tourist sites. Travelers should verify a property’s operational status and repair footprint before booking.