Hotel staff and vendors were cleaning up debris while whistling and singing, unsure of the condition of their own homes or whether they would be paid. This was among the first things Philip Rose, deputy director of tourism for the Americas at the Jamaica Tourist Board, saw after catching one of the first flights back to Jamaica after Hurricane Melissa struck the island in October 2025.
To Rose, the scene reflected Jamaica itself: resilient and already looking ahead — a fitting embodiment of this year’s Jamaica Product Exchange (JAPEX) theme, “Jamaica Reimagined.”
Rather than focusing solely on rebuilding what was lost, tourism leaders also used the event to look at what comes next for the destination: from returning hotel inventory and expanded airlift to luxury travel, technology and a broader effort to rethink how tourism benefits Jamaicans.
Held on Sept. 14-17 in Ocho Rios, the event drew 423 delegates, representing 86 buyers and 82 suppliers, with 1,394 meetings held.
Here are some of the biggest updates from JAPEX 2026.
The Next Phase of Hurricane Melissa Recovery
Jamaica has restored approximately 70% of the tourism room inventory affected by Hurricane Melissa, according to Rose. The remaining 30% is expected to return by early 2027.
More than 11,000 rooms are expected to return to Jamaica’s inventory between 2026 and 2027, with 1,900 rooms scheduled to return in December, followed by nearly 3,500 during the first quarter of 2027.
Rose identified multiple properties that are returning, including Sandals South Coast, Bahia Principe, Sandals Montego Bay, Hyatt Ziva Rose Hall, Hyatt Zilara Rose Hall, Secrets St. James and Secrets Wild Orchid.
Jamaica Hotel and Tourist Association president O’Brian Heron said the industry is looking beyond restoring what was lost.
“Resilience is not simply about recovering,” Heron said. “It is truly about what comes next.”
Jamaica also has 15,000 to 20,000 new rooms in its development pipeline over the next five to 10 years.
Airlift Is Expanding
As rooms return, the island is also working to make sure there is enough airlift to fill them.
The trade floor brought together travel advisors and suppliers for networking and business development.
2026 Jamaica Tourist Board“The job of any destination is not to convince an airline to fly to a destination,” Rose said. “The job of the destination is to create so much demand that we force the airlines to fly.”
During his JAPEX destination update, Rose highlighted new and expanded service from markets across North America, Europe and Latin America, including service from Breeze Airways, Porter Airlines, Air Canada, Wingo and Copa Airlines. New connectivity includes Breeze service from Tampa and Wingo service linking Montego Bay with Medellin and Bogota, while Copa is expanding its Jamaica schedule.
Rose also pointed to strong short-haul traffic from U.S. cities such as Atlanta, Miami and Fort Lauderdale, Fla. Some travelers, whom he called “Weekend Warriors,” are taking advantage of Jamaica’s proximity for long weekends — flying in on Thursday and returning Sunday — and making multiple trips throughout the year.
Event-driven travel from the New York tri-state area is another source of demand.
Between January and August, Jamaica welcomed 2.3 million visitors and generated $2.5 billion in tourism revenue. During the same period, the destination had just under 1.9 million available airline seats, with an average load factor of 85%, up 3.8 percentage points year over year.
Travel advisors remain an important part of Jamaica’s strategy. Rose said advisors take the time to understand a traveler’s needs and serve as a “matchmaker,” helping pair clients with the right experience — something he believes can lead to greater customer satisfaction and repeat visitation.
Cruise is another part of the growth strategy, as the destination recorded 234 cruise calls and more than 736,000 cruise passengers through July.
“Tourism is Jamaica's lifeline,” Rose said.
Jamaica Makes a Bigger Push for Luxury Travelers
Luxury was another focus at JAPEX, and during the “Luxury Travel and the Jamaican Proposition” panel, speakers argued that attracting high-end travelers requires more than just adding upscale hotels.
Eva Damato, senior director of luxury lifestyle marketing at Travel Leaders Network, said travelers are increasingly looking for experiences that feel difficult to replicate.
Tourism officials shared updates on expanded airlift, luxury travel, technology and more.
2026 Jamaica Tourist Board“They want to discover something that no one else has seen before, or they want to do it in a different way that no one else has been able to do,” Damato said.
Travel Leaders Network is seeing average luxury trips span approximately 10 to 12 days, with an average trip spend of $32,000, according to Damato. However, where affluent travelers put that money is changing.
For example, a traveler may opt for a smaller hotel room and redirect some of the budget toward a private yacht experience. Others might choose a boutique property that provides greater access to local culture, food or personalized experiences.
“The spending itself is so strong,” Damato said.
What matters increasingly, she added, is the traveler’s “emotional return on investment” and the connections they make with the destination and its people.
That presents an opportunity for Jamaica to sell travelers on more than a single resort experience, particularly given the differences among areas such as Ocho Rios, the South Coast, Negril and Kingston.
Josef Forstmayr, managing director at Round Hill Hotel and Villas, argued that Jamaica should lean into experiences travelers cannot easily replicate elsewhere.
“I call it the luxury of authenticity,” he said.
Tourism 3.0
Jamaica is also using what officials call Tourism 3.0 to rethink who benefits from the industry’s growth.
Rose described the strategy as a “Jamaica-first approach,” intended to bring more farmers, craft vendors, transportation providers, entrepreneurs and other Jamaicans into the tourism economy. Instead of simply growing arrival numbers, the destination wants to increase the amount of visitor spending that remains on the island.
He described the promise of Tourism 3.0 as “growth with purpose, development with inclusion and an industry that improves the lives of our people.”
“We’re committed to making sure that the amount of money spent on the island increases,” Rose said.
Agentic AI Could Change How Travelers Plan Trips
During a session on AI, speakers discussed the emergence of agentic AI technology, which can move beyond recommending what a traveler should do and begin taking actions on the traveler’s behalf.
Partner update sessions gave suppliers an opportunity to share the latest product developments.
2026 Jamaica Tourist BoardThat could eventually include assembling and booking flights, hotels and activities; monitoring disruptions; adjusting reservations; and personalizing recommendations based on a traveler’s previous behavior and preferences.
For travel companies and destinations, that shift could also change how products are presented online. The presentation emphasized the importance of accurate, structured and machine-readable information, including real-time availability, clear policies and trust signals, so AI systems can understand and recommend a product when acting for a traveler.
Still, Jamaica tourism leaders repeatedly emphasized that technology is not intended to replace the human side of travel.
Rose said Jamaica is looking at AI as a way to make the jobs of tourism professionals and travel advisors easier rather than replace them, while Heron argued that the destination’s greatest differentiator remains its people, culture and hospitality.
“We’re not looking to replace anybody, especially our travel advisor partners,” Rose said. “We’re looking at ways to use AI to make your jobs easier, to make our jobs easier.”
Ultimately, he said, a person still has to deliver on whatever technology promises a traveler.
“We’re going to use it to make your jobs easier and to make our relationship more seamless,” Rose said, “but it’s never going to replace anyone, especially in this industry.”
