The Jamaica Tourism Board (JTB) invited more than 100 international buyers to Jamaica Product Exchange (JAPEX), the destination's flagship tourism marketplace, which took place from Sept. 21 to 24 this year in Montego Bay.
According to Christopher Jarrett, president of the Jamaica Hotel and Tourist Association (JHTA), the annual event is designed to be an exchange of information and ideas, where buyers can learn about Jamaica's hotels, attractions and experiences. Attendees also have opportunities to collaborate with suppliers, and those connections help ensure the island destination’s continued success.
“It’s not just about transactions,” he said. “It’s about building relationships that grow into longstanding partnerships, creating real and long-lasting benefits for Jamaica’s tourism sector.”
1. Demand for Jamaica Continues to Rise
After welcoming a record number of travelers in 2019, tourism to Jamaica has successfully rebounded post-pandemic; the island welcomed more than four million stopover and cruise arrivals in 2024, and forecasts for 2025 and 2026 are set for more than four million and five million arrivals, respectively. Travelers from the U.S. represent 70% of Jamaica’s visitors annually.
“We are being aggressive in our forecast because we have reason to be,” said Donovan White, Jamaica’s director of tourism. “Confidence in Jamaica has returned and has remained extremely high.”
The 450-room, adult-only Unico 18° N 77° W Montego Bay is set to open in winter 2026.
Credit: 2025 Unico Hotel CollectionTo meet the demand for increased arrivals, a steady increase in accommodations is underway, with more than 11,000 new hotel rooms expected to come online by 2030. This figure includes the 450-room, adults-only Unico 18° N 77° W Montego Bay, the brand’s first hotel in Jamaica, set to open in winter 2026, and the 1,350-room Moon Palace – The Grand Ocho Rios, expected to open in 2027 or 2028. These upcoming openings follow the 1,000-room Princess Grand Jamaica and the 753-room Riu Palace Aquarelle, both of which opened in 2024.
Jarrett noted that efforts to attract more luxury travelers are focused on product diversification and enhanced visitor experiences. In particular, advisors can expect a shift away from traditional all-inclusive resorts.
“We’re expanding branded residences and unique experiences that appeal to discerning travelers seeking something truly special,” he said.
One notable project is The Pinnacle, a high-rise luxury development currently under construction in Montego Bay. Designed by Jamaican architect Isiaa Madden, The Pinnacle will feature two residential towers with luxury private apartments and two towers managed by Accor (under their upscale Mondrian brand). One of the Accor towers will offer one- and two-bedroom hotel-managed residences, and the other will have 266 traditional guest rooms and suites. According to Madden, the hotel is expected to open in late 2028 or early 2029, and will feature beach access, an over-water restaurant and a rooftop bar with 360-degree views.
“The Pinnacle blends contemporary architecture with the natural beauty of Montego Bay,” said Yangsen Li, CEO of LCH Developments Limited, the construction company for the project. “We are proud to partner with Accor to bring one of their most celebrated brands to Jamaica for the very first time.”
The Pinnacle luxury development will feature two towers managed by Accor under their upscale Mondrian brand.
Credit: 2025 Samantha Davis-Friedman2. Airlift is Taking Off
In 2025, several U.S. carriers increased service to Jamaica, including American Airlines, which added a new daily flight between Philadelphia and Montego Bay (MBJ) in January 2025 and will also restore a second daily route between Dallas and Montego Bay in December 2025. In addition, Delta added a fourth daily flight from Atlanta to Montego Bay in February 2025, JetBlue introduced a daily flight between Boston and Montego Bay in June 2025 and Spirit Airlines began service between Baltimore and Montego Bay three times a week in July 2025. American Airlines is also restoring daily service to Ocho Rios (OCJ) during the 2025 holiday season.
“Air service growth is a big part of why we succeed, and it’s a big part of why we are forecasting success in future years,” White said. “In 2019, we had 750,000 [airplane] seats; in 2024, we had over a million — and that’s just from the U.S.”
In 2025, American Airlines, Delta, JetBlue and Spirit Airlines all increased service to Jamaica.
Credit: 2025 Sangster International AirportBetween October 2025 and February 2026, Jamaica's scheduled seat capacity is expected to increase further at Sangster International Airport in Montego Bay, Norman Manley International Airport in Kingston (KIN) and Ian Fleming International Airport in Ocho Rios (OCJ).
3. Jamaica is Improving Travelers' First (and Last) Impressions
During a panel discussion titled “Seats & Strategy: Airline Route Decision-Making and Jamaica’s Tourism Vision,” airports were described as “the first and last taste” of any destination — meaning they represent a traveler’s initial and final impressions.
Edmund Bartlett, Jamaica’s minister of tourism, noted that Jamaica is the first Caribbean island to have facial recognition at its airports (the service is already available to clients arriving to Montego Bay and Kingston). Long-term plans to improve the visitor experience at all three of the destination’s current airports include the terminal expansion currently underway at Sangster Airport, which is expected to be completed by the end of 2026. According to Audley Deidrick, president and CEO of the Airports Authority of Jamaica, construction will begin at a later date for a new, more efficient replacement terminal at the Montego Bay airport.
Jamaica is the first Caribbean island to have facial recognition at its airports.
Credit: 2025 Sangster International AirportIn addition, the Kingston airport is being expanded to accommodate larger aircraft; that expansion will be complete in 2027. A new airport in Negril is also expected to be ready by 2027 or 2028, enhancing the destination's connectivity to the U.S. and other Caribbean destinations and making Jamaica an ideal hub for clients looking to spend their vacation island-hopping.
“We are the most connected destination for inter-regional travel,” Bartlett said. “Every single airline that goes to any country in the Caribbean comes through Jamaica.”
And because travelers don’t need to fly in and out of the same airport — they can fly into Montego Bay, for example, then visit different parts of the island (or take a cruise) before departing from Kingston, Ocho Rios or Negril — advisors can build creative itineraries that take advantage of everything Jamaica has to offer.
“The whole purpose is to enable seamlessness,” Bartlett said. “We are committed to three new S’s. Beyond ‘sand, sea and sun,’ we now say the destination is also ‘safe, secure and seamless.’”
