Lopesan looking to build 1,000-room luxury resort in Jamaica

A major hotel group may soon expand in Jamaica.

Lopesan – which has more than 17,000 hotel rooms across Europe, Asia and the Caribbean – has connected with Jamaica’s Minister of Tourism Edmund Bartlett, and his team, to express interest in building a new 1,000-room luxury resort.

The interaction happened this week at World Travel Market (WTM) in London, according to a press release.

Minister Bartlett reportedly expressed appreciation for the Lopesan’s strong investment push, noting that a development would generate more than 2,500 direct and indirect jobs, and impact others, such as farmers, manufacturers, small businesses and other stakeholders.

The news comes as Jamaica’s tourism sector prepares for the official opening of the recently renovated US$30 million Royalton White Sands resort in Trelawny next month.

Jamaica also preparing for the openings of two major resorts before summer next year – the first phase 1,000 rooms of the new Princess Resort in Hanover and the over 753-room new RIU Palace Aquarelle resort in Trelawny, creating around 2,500 new jobs.

The development aligns with Jamaica’s ambitious growth strategy.

Earlier this year, Minister Bartlett said Jamaica is looking to add 15,000 rooms over the next three to five years.

The Minister has also shared his target for Jamaica to welcome 500,000 Canadian visitors by 2025. 

“My projections are driven by data, and I have evidence now that the Canadian market is ready to take us to half a million visitors within the next two years,” he said in September. 

Increasing airlift between Canada and Jamaica is key to the plan, with Air Canada, WestJet and now Canada Jetlines bolstering connectivity. 

Don't miss a single travel story: subscribe to PAX today!  Click here to follow PAX on Facebook.