On Location: “No storm will stop Jamaica" – Inside Sandals' “Back to Jamaica” event

Hurricane Melissa’s 10-mile-wide path of destruction left unspeakable damage to the island of Jamaica.

But just 38 days later, Sandals Resorts gathered a group of 400, made up of 250 travel advisors (17 of them Canadian), media and industry partners at Sandals Dunn’s River in Ocho Rios for a four-day “Back To Jamaica” experience to let the world know that Jamaica, and Sandals, is open and ready for business again.

The immersive gathering from Dec. 3-6 also served as a welcome back soft launch for staff who had been out of work for so long.

In attendance were both Sandals and destination top brass, most notably Adam Stewart, executive chairman at Sandals Resorts International, Gary C. Sadler, executive vice-president of sales and industry relations at Unique Vacations Inc., and Jeff Clarke, CEO at Unique Vacations Inc.

Jamaica is open for business

Hurricane recovery efforts and normalization were the dominant theme of the week.

“Seeing is believing,” said Stewart at the cornerstone business session. “Much of Jamaica was largely unaffected, and it is important that you come and see it.”

“Of course, I can stand on a stage and say Jamaica is ready, but when you walk the roads, meet the people, visit the attractions, and feel the spirit of this island for yourself — you know it. Jamaica has never looked more beautiful, and the gratitude of our people has never been stronger.”

Customers that were affected by the hurricane, which made landfall in Jamaica as a Category 5 storm on Oct. 28, had the choice to stay as long as they wanted, said Stewart.

“We weren’t going to play the nickel-and-diming game,” he said. “We deliver service, and we weren’t able to, so you can stay with us for free. We couldn’t get everyone out, so we brought in a Dreamliner. Then we announced that 100 per cent of our team members would stay on payroll with full dental and medical benefits.”

Later, in conversation with PAX, Stewart said “as a homegrown Jamaican brand and leading hospitality enterprise run 99 per cent by Jamaicans, we have a very clear on our responsibility. We have to open. We have to show people that the pictures in the media aren’t where Jamaica is at. There’s a much better story than what people are seeing. Parts of Jamaica are completely unaffected. It’s very similar to what we went through with COVID, but while that was a health and safety issue, this is more about preparedness.”

Logistical mobilization

Eighty per cent of Jamaica has had both its water and electricity restored, while 55 per cent of rooms are open and doing business.

That number will grow to 68 per cent by end of December, and to 80 per cent by the end of January, official said.

Sandals’ recovery efforts were well thought out, even before the storm touched down.

“We started relocating people a week before the hurricane,” said Maureen Barnes-Smith, vice president of sales and marketing at Unique Vacations Canada, the sales and marketing arm of Sandals and Beaches Resorts.

“We were so active that we were able to maintain a lot of our bookings until the end of the year. Customers could choose any resort at any destination with no cost of changing. But the die-hard fans held on until we gave them our Jamaica re-opening dates.”

When asked about numbers in Jamaica, Barnes told PAX that “booking momentum understandably is a little bit slow.”

“Christmas is opening up in the 70s when it’s usually at around 100, but I think that’s still fantastic news for the season considering the hurricane,” she said.

Reopening dates

While certain parts of the island like St. Elizabeth and Montego Bay were badly hit, the Dunn’s River and Ocho Rios areas were spared from the eye of the storm, leaving the week’s host resort, Sandals Dunn’s River, relatively untouched.

As of December 6, Sandals Royal Plantation, Sandals Ocho Rios, Sandals Dunn’s River, Sandals Negril and Beaches Negril are open for business.

The properties that experienced severe damage were Sandals Montego Bay and Sandals Royal Caribbean, both of which will reopen later in 2026. 

Sandals South Coast won’t be open until May 31, 2026.

“The damage varies by property,” said Mr. Sadler. “Ocho Rios sustained damage but it wasn’t as extensive as Sandals South Coast. As they go through the cleanup process, they’re noticing new things every day.”

Tourism and excursions “are very active – especially in Ocho Rios,” ensured Donovan White, director of tourism at the Jamaica Tourist Board. “Portland the same. Negril is at 70 to 80 per cent active. Montego Bay is probably only at 30 to 40 per cent open in terms of tours and attractions. Of course, Kingston is 100 per cent open.”

“We have tour operators putting together masterful tours and travellers that want to see areas that have suffered the most damage can engage in voluntourism.”

The travel advisor’s role

Travel professionals will be essential partners in Jamaica’s recovery efforts, officials said.

“Travel advisors play an essential role in telling Jamaica’s story,” said Sadler. “Bringing you here created a meaningful opportunity to reconnect with the island you love. This is your customer and our guest. Together, we share the responsibility of caring for them, reassuring them and inspiring them to come back to Jamaica.”

But recent media coverage and heightened public concern have created additional challenges for advisors promoting Jamaica.

“Sales have been harder because people watch TV and the news too much. They focus on the negative versus the positive,” said Barrie, ON-based travel advisor Danielle Sotera of Travel 3000. “We had people book and ask to be relocated. I also had clients trying so hard to come [to Jamaica], but the hotels couldn’t accommodate them, so there’s the yin-yang.”

“The customers I had that were scheduled to come are all coming back. They weren’t scared away by the hurricane. People have to come here and feed the economy.”

Kathy Kennedy of Village Travel Group in Montreal said her longstanding love for Jamaica was the main reason she chose to take part in the “Back to Jamaica” event.

“When I found Sandals, I knew I had a product I could sell and I’ve never looked back,” she said. “There’s nobody out there in the Caribbean that supports travel agents like they do. They really make you feel like family.”

One love

The prevailing sentiment throughout the week was that Sandals’ strong family culture—led from the top by Chairman Adam Stewart—is what continues to inspire advisors to sell the brand and guests to return time and again.

“There is no storm that will stop Jamaica,” said Stewart. “The spirit of our people, the warmth of our welcome, the beauty of this island — none of that was washed away. To every travel advisor here: go home and tell the world what you saw. Tell them Jamaica is ready, and we cannot wait to welcome them back.”

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