Following the Category 5 Hurricane Melissa hitting Jamaica in October 2025, the island is rebuilding and keen to spread the word that tourism is firmly back and indeed needed.
Visiting London, Jamaica’s Director of Tourism, Donovan White, told Wanderlust,” Jamaica is a resilient country and we have some resilient people. Seventy percent of the hotels and 70% of the attractions are open. And many hotels have used the opportunity to rebuild even better.” While praising the government and communities for their swift action he also acknowledged and thanked an outpouring of help from around the world.
Not all the country was impacted. As Mr White points out,” The areas that were damaged the most or had the most impact were along the South Coast, which includes Treasure Beach and Black River.”
The area was featured in Wanderlust in 2022, following a visit by Founding Editor Lyn Hughes. Known for its laidback vibe, Treasure Beach is strong on community tourism, with most of the accommodation and facilities locally-owned. At the heart of the community both physically and figuratively is the arty Jake’s Hotel, featured in the article, which was badly hit but reopened in December, with newly restored rooms. It is offering 30% off accommodation for new bookings through June 30. It’s Jack Sprat Bar & Restaurant, very much the social heart of the south coast, has also reopened.
Lyn Hughes comments, “I was devastated when I heard how badly impacted Treasure Beach was. The area, the people, and Jake’s Hotel all left an indelible mark on me. This is the Jamaica you hope to find!”
Another casualty was the legendary Floyd’s Pelican Bar. Built out on a sandbar at sea and accessible only by boat, it was completely wiped out. The bar, which was originally built by Floyd Forbes as a hangout for fishermen to have a well-earned drink, has become an iconic tourism attraction, with visitors having a swim or simply chilling away the hours on deck, imbibing in a Red Stripe beer or two, and eating dishes such as coconut shrimp or local snapper. Rebuilding has been taking place, and it is on track to reopen on 31 January.
Donovan White says, “It’s not so much the hotels and the attractions that suffered, it’s the residential communities, it’s the small business communities; they’re the ones who need the support of tourists to come in.
“To visit Jamaica now is the best way you can give your support to the people of Jamaica.”
