The opening event for the Jamaica Product Exchange (JAPEX) took place in collaboration with Mobay Reggae Nights, which is held on the last Sunday of every month at Harmony Beach Park, a free-entry public park in Montego Bay. The conference was held from September 21 – 24, and this opening event set the stage for the destination’s focus as it looks towards a future of growth: having tourism fully embraced by Jamaicans first.

This concept of “Local First,” as the Minister of Tourism, Hon. Edmund Bartlett, referred to it, is how the destination plans to hold a balance between supporting its local people and welcoming additional tourists.  

Local First Concept

Global tourism continues to increase, and interest in visiting the island of Jamaica is growing. Year-end arrivals of air and cruise passengers are projected to be at 4.5 million, and the island now offers direct connections to more than 55 international gateways. This connectivity is fueling diverse visitor growth as well as economic development.

Minister Bartlett said global tourism is at an inflection point and that there is a call internationally for a reset of tourists. “So there's a whole geopolitical reset that is happening. There's a geoeconomic reset that is happening, and there is also a geodemographic reset that is happening. So we are creating new psychographic profiles of the market that we have to respond to,” he said. “So the issue, therefore, is how do we prepare ourselves for that?”

In order to prepare for this widespread growth, the destination is leading with its local first concept, prioritizing the needs of Jamaicans first and foremost. The total number of Jamaicans employed in the tourism industry is right around 350,000, which is about 20% of the overall employment, and this concept includes prioritizing the needs of these employees, as well as those in surrounding areas.

“We are building capacity for our people to provide the best quality service that is available in tourism,” Minister Bartlett said. “We are professionalizing the industry. We've established the Jamaica Center for Tourism Innovation, which is a pathway certification entity to enable competent workers on the job to be certified and to enable them to have mobility within the workplace and portability across the globe.”

New training opportunities have been introduced, some with a focus on gastronomy and entertainment. Creating housing is also a focus, and new investment partners of a certain criteria will be required to provide a housing component for workers. Minister Bartlett also said they are offering education and building infrastructure for people who live in the communities near popular tourism areas.

“They carry capacity so that we don't have a situation of over tourism in Jamaica,” he said. “We want tourists to be happy when they come here. We want tourists to feel at home when they come here, but most importantly, we want our people to feel comfortable at all times to be the best hosts for our visitors when they arrive.”

What’s New

There are several amazing resorts in Jamaica for every type of traveler and convenient ways to get around, but preparing for growth also involves building and expanding infrastructure, and the destination is making strategic investments to improve movement for visitors and create lasting benefits for local communities. Here are some of the latest updates to know about:

Airports and Roads

• Montego Bay Perimeter Road Project: This $274 million project is 65% complete and will ease congestion in western Jamaica; link Negril, Montego Bay and key resort areas; and include Jamaica’s largest four-lane bridge.
• Sangster International Airport upgrades: There will be expanded terminals and runways, new biometric check-in and streamlined passenger flow.
• Norman Manley International Airport: This airport is undergoing a $161 million modernization, including improvements to runways and a digital air traffic facility.
• New Airport: A new $460 million international airport will be built near Negril, which will help relieve congestion and bring growth to new areas.

Accommodations

• Princess Grand Jamaica: This resort opened in 2024 with 1,000 rooms.
• Moon Palace The Grand – Montego Bay: This $700 million investment will feature 1,200 rooms and is expected to generate 3,000 local jobs.
• Hard Rock Hotel: This resort in Montego Bay is under construction and is planned to open in 2026.
• The Pinnacle: This property is under construction and will have four 28-story towers and be a mix of residences and hotel rooms.

“The whole purpose of this is to enable seamlessness, and we have committed ourselves of three S's beyond the normal S's that we always talk about: sand, sea and sun,” Minister Bartlett said regarding these enhancements. “Now we are saying also that this destination will be safe, secure and seamless. So when you come to Jamaica, there will be no second guessing of the integrity of the promise that we made, that you'll have a safe, secure and seamless vacation.”