Government and Global Support Aid Jamaica’s Tourism Workers in Hurricane Melissa Recovery, Here’s All You Need to Know

Published on December 16, 2025

The Jamaican Ministry of Tourism has announced the establishment of a Tourism Housing Assistance Recovery Programme (THARP) to help tourism employees who have been affected in a major way by Hurricane Melissa. The hurricane that ravaged Jamaica on October 28 has left destruction in its wake, and tourism employees who are resident in the rural areas of Jamaica have been affected in particular. This program that has been initiated to offer grant funding assistance to affected persons is a major step in building a resilient tourism industry in Jamaica that is essential to its economic system.

THARP: A Lifeline for Tourism Workers Affected by Hurricane Melissa

The primary objective of THARP is to provide direct assistance to tourism workers who have lost their homes or experienced significant damage due to the storm. Unlike loans, which must be repaid, THARP offers grant-based support, ensuring that affected workers can rebuild their homes and regain stability without the burden of debt.

Minister Bartlett highlighted that the government has allocated more than $2 billion to the initiative, ensuring that immediate relief can reach those most in need. The program is set to officially launch on December 16, 2025, with a ceremony at The Jamaica Pegasus hotel in Kingston, where the first phase of assistance will be rolled out.

“We have established a special programme called THARP… to start providing support—not lending but grant support to tourism workers who have been affected, primarily who have lost roofs and homes,” said Bartlett. The initiative aims to reach over 5,000 tourism workers by the time the program is fully operational, with more than 150 workers set to receive support during the initial rollout.

The Economic Significance of Tourism Workers to Jamaica’s Recovery

Jamaica’s tourism sector is one of the country’s most important economic drivers, contributing significantly to employment and GDP. The hurricane’s impact on tourism workers poses a serious challenge, not just for those directly affected, but for the tourism industry as a whole. Without workers to staff hotels, resorts, and other tourist services, the recovery of Jamaica’s tourism industry would be severely hindered. Bartlett emphasized the integral role of tourism workers in the country’s overall recovery efforts.

“Since the hurricane, tourism workers have received more than US$15 million in support through a combination of relief packages and loan arrangements provided by various hotels,” Bartlett said. These measures have helped to stabilize the situation in the short term, but the THARP program aims to provide more long-term solutions by focusing on housing recovery and helping workers restore their homes to a livable condition.

The broader impact of the storm on Jamaica’s tourism industry is far-reaching. Damage to homes and communities in tourist areas disrupts not only the lives of workers but also the experience for tourists. With many tourism workers struggling to maintain basic living conditions, their ability to provide high-quality services to visitors is compromised, potentially leading to a decline in tourism satisfaction and overall destination appeal.

International Support for Jamaica’s Tourism Recovery

In addition to the government’s efforts, international support has played a crucial role in helping Jamaica’s tourism sector bounce back from the hurricane’s devastation. A benefit concert, titled “Harmonies of Hope,” was recently held in Toronto, Canada, raising CAN$2.5 million to assist tourism workers and local communities in tourist areas. This concert exemplifies the solidarity from the global community and the recognition of the vital role tourism workers play in ensuring the success of Jamaica’s tourism industry.

“We are not recovering without the workers. Yes, we say that the recovery cannot be complete without the workers of our industry,” Bartlett emphasized during his remarks. This statement underscores the importance of supporting those on the front lines of Jamaica’s tourism industry, as they are crucial not only to the immediate recovery but also to the long-term sustainability of the sector.

The Future of Tourism in Jamaica: A Focus on Resilience

As Jamaica moves forward with recovery efforts, there is a renewed focus on building resilience within the tourism sector. The THARP program is a key element in this strategy, addressing the immediate needs of tourism workers whose homes were destroyed or damaged, and ensuring that they have the resources to rebuild their lives. However, the government is also working on long-term solutions to make the tourism industry more resilient to future natural disasters, which have become more frequent and intense due to climate change.

Jamaica’s tourism is a major contributor to the country’s economic success, but it is also a sector that faces significant vulnerability to climate-related events like hurricanes. As the country continues to recover from Hurricane Melissa, there is an urgent need to invest in infrastructure that can withstand future storms and to implement policies that protect both the environment and the communities that support tourism.

Rebuilding and Moving Forward

The official opening of the Tourism Housing Assistance Recovery Programme (THARP) is an extremely important element in the recovery process that the employees in the tourism industry in Jamaica and the industry as a whole are undergoing. The provision of grant assistance to those persons in the industry hardest hit by Hurricane Melissa will ensure that the housing of many industry workers is restored and that the tourism industry as a whole remains strong.