Markets & Finance · Caribbean
—The headline number. Jamaica drew more than 1.5 million stopover and cruise visitors from January through May 2026, earning about $1.5bn in foreign exchange.
—The verdict. Tourism Minister Edmund Bartlett says the sector has moved beyond recovery and is firmly in a growth phase, eight months after Hurricane Melissa.
—The private bet. Sandals is investing $200m to rebuild and reimagine three resorts, the largest private tourism investment of the current recovery cycle.
—The timetable. Sandals South Coast reopens on November 18, with Sandals Montego Bay and Sandals Royal Caribbean following on December 18, ahead of peak winter travel.
