Last month, Hurricane Beryl passed through the Caribbean, and with it came storms hitting the island of Jamaica. While some areas on the south coast of the island continue to face post-storm challenges, the majority of the island is open for business. In fact, it was only a matter of days that the destination was out of commission.
Unfortunately, this isn’t the first hardship Jamaica has faced, especially in recent years, but the destination credits its pre-planned processes, preparedness and communication as reasons why it was able to bounce back so quickly.
Jamaica’s Preparedness
Donovan White, director of tourism for the Jamaica Tourist Board, told The Compass that Jamaica’s resilience has been “the hallmark” of its recovery plans when disasters like this strike.
“We have been and continue to be very fortunate,” he said. “Resilience has been really our backbone in terms of being prepared, being innovative, thinking outside the box, thinking quickly, thinking on our feet and putting things in place that makes for continuation of the tourism trade and for visitors to come to the island and feel safe.”
This was also the case a few years ago dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic. Jamaica was one of the first destinations to reopen with plans in place that allowed for the tourism industry to continue operating safely.
Robin Russell, president of the Jamaica Hotel and Tourism Association, also touched on the island’s readiness. “I think we were more prepared than we’ve ever been, and I think that’s part of why we were able to recover so quickly because of all the preparation that was done before the hurricane,” he said. “And then after, everybody came out and just did their part.”
Helping Hands
Jamaica is a fan favorite when it comes to vacation destinations, and one of the reasons people continue to go back to visit time and time again is the warm welcome they feel from the people. Jamaicans wanted to make sure the island was back up and running as soon as possible not only for themselves, but for their beloved guests.
“You have to love our spirit. It was like a big family, everybody cleared the roads. Everybody was there for each other. Everybody was helping,” Russell said. “I’m seeing that throughout the industry where people just really got on board about opening Jamaica.”
White said that some of the assistance came from visitors as well. People offered to help financially, and they volunteered their time to help with recovery efforts.
“We have a very communal tourism industry, and we speak with our partners almost every day, and we mobilize help where we can’t find help. And we have guests that come on island that fall in love with Jamaica and want it to remain pristine, so anything they can do to help, they do to help,” White said.
This support from visitors does not only come in times of chaos. White said a group from Canada called Helping Hands comes to Jamaica a few times a year to build and restore schools, and they were recently in the destination working on a school in Montego Bay.
“It’s that kind of support system that the destination has been able to build and benefit from over a number of years, and we feel very gratified that there are people all over the world who want to see Jamaica thrive,” White said.
A Clear Message to Visitors
When it comes to communicating with its travel advisor community and future visitors, transparency is key for the Jamaica Tourist Board.
“We keep the message very straightforward, very simple, clear, honest, truthful. … We don’t shy away from our situation,” White said, adding that this allows people to have the information they need in order to make decisions.
In addition to the Jamaica Tourist Board, the Jamaica Hotel and Tourism Association (JHTA) is a resource for travel advisors and their clients to utilize for updates.
“JHTA is always willing to communicate openly,” Russell said. “Because it’s about an experience. And we’re not going to lie about an experience and then you send your guests there and then they have a bad experience, and everybody loses. It’s about open communication.”
Jamaica Travel Advisory
The U.S. State Department recently updated its Jamaica Travel Advisory, and White said this is not a new warning or even an upgrade — and in some cases might even be a downgrade. The information is “less impactful” than what was shared in the January update, he said, “and that’s because we’ve done a tremendous amount of work in the destination to improve and to change the narrative around some of that information and to work with the state department and the US embassy in country to ensure that we’re all on the same page and we are delivering on the expectation of the United States visitors.”
There are unfortunate events happening all over the world, and firsthand knowledge and experience continue to be crucial when it comes to deciding where to go. This is where the expertise of a travel advisor comes in when booking a trip. Many advisors, as well as their clients, have visited Jamaica countless times and know everything there is to know about traveling to the destination.
White said these advisories are part of the nature of the business and that the destination focuses on what it can control and fixes those things: “We have worked hard as a destination and as a government to ensure that we put the necessary things in place to make sure that every guest that comes to Jamaica feels safe, firstly, they are secured in their presence here, and they have a seamless movement opportunity in and around the country.”
Jamaica is currently offering a limited-time deal: For travel between September 1 and December 1, 2024, travelers can take advantage of up to 65% off in savings at 50 participating hotels in six resort areas for bookings made by August 16, 2024. Visit visitjamaica.com/deals to learn more.
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