KINGSTON, Jamaica — Airline seat allocations for Jamaica’s January-April 2027 winter tourist season have risen 23.5 per cent from a year earlier, signalling renewed confidence as the island’s tourism industry recovers from Hurricane Melissa.
The Jamaica Tourist Board (JTB) said airlines have committed 1.32 million seats, approximately 252,000 more than for the corresponding 2026 period.
The increase comes as accommodation providers continue rebuilding after the Category 5 hurricane struck in late October 2025, devastating much of Jamaica’s main tourism corridor.
“Securing more than 1.3 million seats is a strong vote of confidence in Jamaica and our tourism recovery,” Tourism Minister Edmund Bartlett said.
He said the commitments reduce the risk of inadequate airlift during the winter season, but Jamaica must translate the increased capacity into bookings, visitor spending and economic opportunities.
Canada leads the expansion, with seat allocations up 62.1 per cent, followed by the United States at 23.1 per cent and Latin America at two per cent.
The JTB said capacity from Canada and Latin America now exceeds pre-hurricane 2025 levels, while overall winter capacity stands at 92.4 per cent of the 2025 total.
Stopover arrivals fell 68 per cent year-on-year in November 2025 as hotels closed for repairs. The decline narrowed to 34 per cent in December as properties reopened.
