Jamaica’s Sangster International Airport, Ian Fleming International, and Norman Manley International Airport were temporarily closed to all departing and arriving flights, as were Cuba’s Antonio Maceo International Airport and Frank Pais International Airport, with airspace on lockdown. The Cuban Ministry of Transportation (MITRANS) also suspended train, bus, and flight services in the eastern region, from where around 750,000 people were evacuated. Jamaica’s tourism minister, Edmund Bartlett, has said all 25,000 international tourists in the territory at the time of the storm have been confirmed safe.

UPDATE: SIA plans to resume LIMITED commercial flights Sat, Nov 1 at 7:00 a.m.

Please:
* Confirm your flight with your airline BEFORE heading to the airport
* Only come if you have a confirmed flight
* Hoteliers: Do not transport guests without confirmed flights pic.twitter.com/K1lQLg08oG

— Sangster International Airport (@MBJAIRPORT) October 31, 2025

While airports have since reopened to selected commercial flights and repatriation operations, such as those put in place by the British government for British citizens on Jamaica and Windrush generation British nationals with leave to remain in the UK, access remains difficult due to flooding and storm damage, and already weak power infrastructure has suffered. Officials advise those planning travel to airports to make journeys during daylight hours only and to exercise caution amid potential food, water, and power shortages. The US alert is at level 3: Reconsider Travel. With unsettled weather continuing, Jamaica has issued a list of storm shelters.

The United Kingdom’s Foreign and Commonwealth Development Office (FCDO) and the US State Department have issued new travel advisories for the region, urging citizens on the ground to register their presence to receive updates. The US Embassy in Jamaica says US citizens should register in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP)   for updates from the U.S. Embassy in Kingston, as well as maintain contact with their resort management to address immediate needs.

The first flight chartered for British nationals, who are unable to leave Jamaica on commercial routes, is due to depart Norman Manley International Airport @NMIA_Airport on Saturday evening, 1 November.

If you are interested and haven’t done so already, please REGISTER YOUR… pic.twitter.com/moh0KLbTNe

— Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (@FCDOGovUK) October 31, 2025

Hotel chains such as Hyatt and Sandals are currently conducting assessments “to determine the extent of the physical damage to all properties.” Hyatt Inclusive Collection has gone as far as suspending operations and will not be accepting new reservations until 1 February 2025.

Holiday and tour operators such as TUI and Virgin have cancelled trips: TUI until 9 November; and Virgin Holidays until 4 November, with extra flexibility built in for customers until 10 November. Would-be travellers are advised to confirm the status of their flights, other transport options, and accommodation providers before setting out for any journey in the region.

Our thoughts are with those currently in Jamaica and our teams are working hard to assess the full impact of Hurricane Melissa.

For the latest TUI updates, please visit our Travel Alerts page: https://t.co/QRkrbcbNRG

— tuiuk (@TUIUK) October 29, 2025

Cruise line Carnival has revised its itineraries, cancelling port calls to Grand Turk, Amber Cove, Montego Bay, Grand Cayman, Half Moon Cay, and Princess Cays. The operator is continuing to monitor the weather situation, saying, “Safety is our priority, and we continue to track conditions carefully, factoring in guidance from the National Hurricane Center, U.S. Coast Guard, and local port authorities to provide timely updates. Guests on upcoming sailings are encouraged to opt in for sailing alerts via Cruise Manager on Carnival.com and monitor their emails for potential updates from Carnival.” Similarly, MSC, Norwegian, and Royal Caribbean have all rerouted cruises to the west of the region.

The Miami HEAT, in partnership with the Micky & Madeleine Arison Family Foundation and @CarnivalCruise has made a $1,000,000 donation to @DirectRelief to assist with expected recovery efforts following Hurricane Melissa.

To make a donation visit https://t.co/LU9wIc0CCC pic.twitter.com/SH8dak0AHk

— Miami HEAT (@MiamiHEAT) October 28, 2025

Holidaymakers whose trip or flight has been cancelled by the provider should be able to claim a refund, and those with travel insurance purchased in advance of the storm may be eligible for some compensation, but with governments stopping short of “Do Not Travel” alerts, this is not guaranteed.

L’article Hurricane Melissa leaves Caribbean tourism struggling to get back on its feet est apparu en premier sur Travel Tomorrow.

While Melissa began as a cluster of thunderstorms off the coast of West Africa, as it travelled west, it developed into a hurricane. It finally reached category 5 intensity on Monday while progressing over the Caribbean Sea. If the storm maintains its current strength and velocity, Hurricane Melissa is expected to strike Jamaica on Tuesday, 28 October, around midday. It would be the strongest hurricane ever to hit the island.

#BREAKING: Incredible view from inside the eye of Hurricane Melissa — now a Category 5 storm pic.twitter.com/Qva7aDtWpT

— Rapid Report (@RapidReport2025) October 27, 2025

Stay inside

As the strong winds are expected to be accompanied by extremely high rainfall (up to 1,000 mm in some places), flash flooding, and landslides, the US National Hurricane Centre has warned of its likely very extensive damaging powers. That damage will hit the infrastructure, with long-duration power and communication outages to be expected. Due to the slow-moving nature of Hurricane Melissa, the extreme weather conditions are likely to continue for an extended period of time.

As the island’s main airports, Kingston and Montego Bay, are already closed and as there is no way for people to leave Jamaica at the moment, Jamaica’s authorities are warning residents and tourists alike to seek shelter and stay safe.

“Life-threatening storm surge, accompanied by large and destructive waves, is likely along the south coast of Jamaica late Monday through Tuesday morning. Small craft operators, including fishers on the cays and banks, are strongly advised to remain in safe harbour until all warning messages have been lifted and wind and sea conditions have returned to normal”, Jamaica’s meteorological service said in a statement.

In a video shared on social media, Jamaican Prime Minister Andrew Holness explained what people should expect from the storm, including a high risk of loss of life in certain areas. He urged everyone to take preparatory and precautionary measures before impact, urging everyone to stay sheltered in place.

“My Jamaican family, we will weather this storm, and when the sky is clear, we will come together to restore and build stronger, prouder and more resilient than before. Keep safe, everyone. May God bless you, protect your families and keep safe our beloved Jamaica land, we love you”, Andrew Holness concluded in the statement.

Once the storm has passed Jamaica, it will likely travel towards Cuba, where it is expected as of late Tuesday, 28 October 2025.

L’article Jamaica braces for its most powerful hurricane as Hurricane Melissa to strike island est apparu en premier sur Travel Tomorrow.

“Violent crime occurs throughout Jamaica. Tourist areas generally see lower rates of violent crime than other parts of the country. The homicide rate reported by the Government of Jamaica is among the highest in the Western Hemisphere. Armed robberies and sexual assaults are common”, the advisory reads. “The US Embassy routinely receives reports of sexual assaults, including from US citizen tourists at resorts. US citizens report slow or unsatisfactory response to serious criminal incidents. When arrests are made, cases are infrequently prosecuted to a final verdict and sentence.”

Moreover, the medical situation in Jamaica seems to be worsening. Apart from bringing their own prescription medication, tourists should also prepare their stay by obtaining a fitting travel insurance which includes medical evacuation insurance, as US Medicare/Medicaid does not apply overseas.

For those opting to travel to Jamaica despite the negative travel advice, the Department of State has issued several guidelines:

• Do not attempt to bring firearms or ammunition. This includes stray rounds, shells, or empty casings. The penalties for carrying firearms and/or ammunition, even inadvertently, are severe, and can include lengthy prison sentences.
• Avoid walking or driving at night.
• Avoid public buses.
• Avoid secluded places or situations.
• Do not physically resist any robbery attempt.
• Be aware of your surroundings and keep a low profile.
• Enroll in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) to receive alerts and make it easier to locate you in an emergency. 
• Review the State Department’s Country Specific Information for Jamaica.
• Make a contingency plan for emergency situations.
• Visit the CDC page for the latest Travel Health Information related to your travel.

L’article US renews advisory against travelling to Jamaica est apparu en premier sur Travel Tomorrow.

Flight NK270 departed Jamaica under seemingly normal conditions on Sunday. However, a chiming signal, the meaning of which was unclear, can be heard in a video shared by passenger Bettina Rogers on TikTok. Soon after, the pilot announced he suspected a mechanical issue and told passengers he needed to “do an emergency landing. We’re going to head back so that I can get the mechanics and the engineers to take a look at it”, Rogers told USA Today.

At that time, passengers remained widely calm, as the pilot ensured there was “nothing to be alarmed about”. “Five minutes later, it was ‘Flight attendants, prepare for emergency landing,’ so they got ready”, Rogers said. But after another five minutes, the pilot told cabin crew to prepare for emergency water landing. “That’s when the whole plane went frantic.”

It was scary, and people were freaking out and panicking.

Bettina Rogers

Despite the alarming experience, the plane, an Airbus A321, safely landed back at Montego Bay, where passengers were able to deboard under regular conditions. “The plane landed safely at MBJ and taxied to the terminal where guests deplaned under normal procedures”, Spirit said in a statement.

The airline apologised for the inconvenienced caused to travellers and said the water landing announcement was made “out of an abundance of caution”, to ensure that passengers are prepared in time for the worst-case scenario. “Safety is our top priority, and the aircraft will be thoroughly evaluated by our maintenance team”, Spirit added.

The passengers were soon transferred to another aircraft and landed at Florida’s Fort Lauderdale Airport just 45 minutes after the initial time of arrival. They also received meal vouchers and $50 worth of credit to use on future flights with Spirit.

However, not all passengers were pleased with the resolution. “After that near-death experience and emotional distress, Spirit wants to offer US$50 credit to use by August of this year”, Andrene Gordon told Jamaican outlet the Gleaner. “I feel like that is a slap in the face because they put us through such a traumatic experience.”

The incident took place as holiday goers returned home following Memorial Day weekend in the US. Two days prior, at the beginning of the holiday, airports across the country had witnessed the busiest travel day ever, with 2.95 million passengers screened at security checks, according to the Transportation Security Administration.

L’article Passengers told to prepare for emergency water landing soon after takeoff from Jamaica est apparu en premier sur Travel Tomorrow.

Sexual assaults and some Do Not Travel Zones

Overall, Americans are urged to “reconsider travel” to the island, due to the “common” occurrence of “violent crimes, such as home invasions, armed robberies, sexual assaults, and homicides”. 

As well as specifically mentioning the risk of sexual assault, even at all-inclusive resorts, the warning also draws attention to some particularly high-risk zones.

Although the overall risk in Jamaica is deemed to be a Level 3, a long list of neighborhoods are rated Level 4, or “Do Not Travel”. The security situation is deemed such a risk in these districts that certain U.S. government personnel are not allowed to visit. At the time of writing, these are as follows:

“St. Ann’s Parish—Do Not Travel 

• Steer Town and the Buckfield neighborhood near Ocho Rios

St. Catherine’s Parish—Do Not Travel

• Spanish Town
• Central Village
• Areas within Portmore, including: Naggo Head, New Land, Old Braeton, Portmore Lane, Gregory Park, and Waterford

All of Clarendon Parish—Do Not Travel

• All of Clarendon Parish, except passing through Clarendon Parish using the T1 and A2 highways.

St. Elizabeth’s Parish—Do Not Travel

• Vineyard District Community, between the communities of Salt Spring and Burnt Savanna, St. Elizabeth

Hanover Parish—Do Not Travel

• Logwood and Orange Bay

St. James Parish/Montego Bay—Do Not Travel

• All of Montego Bay on the inland side of the A1 highway and The Queen’s Drive from San San to Harmony Beach Park

Kingston and St. Andrew Parish—Do Not Travel

• Cassava Piece
• Downtown Kingston, defined as between Mountain View Avenue and Hagley Park Road, and south of Half Way Tree and Old Hope Roads. Downtown Kingston includes Arnett Gardens, Cockburn Gardens, Denham Town, Olympic Gardens, Seaview Gardens, Trench Town, and Tivoli Gardens.
• Duhaney Park
• Grants Pen
• Standpipe
• Swallowfield
• Elleston Flats
• August Town

Manchester Parish—Do Not Travel

• Green Vale, Gray Ground, Red Ground, and Vineyard neighborhoods of Mandeville

St. Thomas Parish—Do Not Travel

• Black Lane neighborhood in Seaforth
• Grands Penn
• Church Corner neighborhood near Yallahs
• Town of Yallahs, except when driving through on the main highway

Trelawny Parish—Do Not Travel

• Clarks Town

Westmoreland Parish—Do Not Travel

• Russia community in Savanna-la-Mar (The Southeastern quadrant of Savannah la Mar east of Darling Street and south of the A2 highway/Barracks Road)
• Morgan Bay
• Kings Valley
• The Whitehall, Bethel Town, and Red Ground neighborhoods of Negril”

The importance of insurance

Holidaymakers going to Jamaica are also advised to ensure they have their own comprehensive medical insurance. The warnings point out that US insurers and Medicaid are not accepted in Jamaica, that criminality frequently goes unpunished and that US citizens have found that death certificates can be difficult to obtain.

Come with confidence?

While both the US State department and the US Embassy in Jamaica published the same advisory, the Jamaican tourist board gave a more nuanced view, saying “there are very distinctly defined areas within Jamaica that the advisory cites as having high risk for crime, so the majority of the island’s tourism product remains unaffected.”

“Visitors can continue to come with confidence to enjoy all that Jamaica has to offer,” the tourism board added.

The board ran a high-profile campaign last year, using locals to promote and celebrate the hospitality and atmosphere of the island.

L’article Is it safe to travel to Jamaica? est apparu en premier sur Travel Tomorrow.

Their Come Back to Jamaica campaign is aimed at three types of travellers: adventure seekers, family planners and seasoned travellers, with an emphasis on human connection and experiences.

“In Jamaica, we have seen record levels of arrivals which exceed pre-Covid levels, demonstrating that our travel sector is resilient and so are travellers,” said Edmund Bartlett, Jamaica’s minister of tourism in a statement last week.

“As the industry rebounds from the global pandemic which impacted each and every one of us, we want to let the world know that Jamaica is excited to welcome travellers back with open arms.

Our Come Back to Jamaica campaign urges visitors to rediscover values perhaps lost before and during the overlapping crises of the past three years to help them rediscover their own sense of adventure, natural curiosity and human connection.

Edmund Bartlett, Jamaica’s minister of tourism

The campaign, created by Accenture Song, showcases Jamaica’s natural attractions and hospitality. It drew on over 50 local crew members as well as authentic couples and a family in locations from Portland to St. Ann. The stories feature young travellers discovering Jamaica for the first time, families on long-awaited vacations and those who already know and love the island and wish to return.

Donovan White, director of tourism at Jamaica Tourist Board emphasised the island nation’s vibe as a key part of its offer. “While we have plenty of sun, sea, and sand, it’s our uniquely Jamaican culture – from our music to our food to our people – that really distinguishes us. It’s the reason travellers choose to come here – so they can experience and connect with our vibe that comes alive.”

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Tui Group which currently operates up to ten flights flights a week to the island from the UK’s Gatwick, Manchester and Birmingham airports has indicated plans to expand capacity to Jamaica in summer 2023, following recent meetings with the tourist board.

“This is a very positive step forward as we work towards full recovery from the fallout of the pandemic,” said White.

L’article Jamaica urges visitors to ‘come back to life’ after three years of crises est apparu en premier sur Travel Tomorrow.

To talk about Usain Bolt, even after his career is over, is to talk about the fastest man in the world. It may have been four years since he left the track but the 100-meter world record is still his.

In everything I do, I want to be the best

Usain Bolt

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From 2008 until the end of his career he participated in 146 races, winning 134. Usain Bolt accumulated world titles, Olympic titles and record after record, including the 9.58 seconds in the 100 meters, achieved in 2009 and still today the best mark in history.

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The athlete got used to listening to music in his family from an early age. “Obviously you hear Bob Marley everywhere in Jamaica,” he said in an interview with The Guardian. Music was one of his great passions yet it wasn’t even the future he imagined for himself as a kid. “I wanted to be a spy,” he said. Bolt recalled how The James Bond movies he saw at the time made him have those dreams.

Bolt says that he had never imagined he would dedicate so much time to music now, but because of the pandemic, he found himself with more free time on his hands. And he took advantage of it. His relationship with reggae had already been developing over the last years, in production jobs and in releasing mix tapes.

I don’t think my voice is that good for singing. I don’t plan to pick up the microphone unless absolutely necessary. I’m more the guy behind the decks, cheering the crowd on, giving off that vibe

Usain bolt

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Despite his competitive spirit, Bolt admits that he is changing, at least in this particular aspect of his life. The plan in reggae, he says, is not to win. It’s to have fun.

L’article This is the world’s fastest man’s new career est apparu en premier sur Travel Tomorrow.

1. Hotels Reopening

Tourism Minister, Edmund Bartlett, who recently welcomed the reopening of the 49-suite Zoetry hotel in Montego Bay following its seven-month closure, praised the campaign and said, ‘ [it] has been a great success, with some hotels reporting up to 50% to 60% occupancy from local bookings.’ He is confident that, ‘this initiative will continue to reduce the impact caused by the fallout from a decline in international tourism receipts and ensure continued buoyancy of the sector until some semblance of normalcy returns.’

He also highlighted that Jamaica currently has the highest booking rate in the region, with more bookings directly rather than through travel agents. If current levels continue, ‘we are potentially looking at over one million visitors by year end, which would be a fairly impressive achievement, given the current environment’ explained Minister Bartlett.

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2. Continued Investment

The Minister also spoke about investments, stating that investors continue to show confidence in the Jamaican market and that 90% of previously planned projects are still on target, despite the effects of the pandemic. This includes a 1700-room hotel in St. James, 2,000 rooms in Green Island, Hanover, and tourism development programmes for Kingston and Port Royal. ‘This show of confidence in Jamaica by investors has helped to boost our image as a leading tourist destination’ he noted, explaining that these investments are creating job opportunities and further fuelling the expansion and diversification of the tourism product.

Minister Bartlett described how Jamaica is, ‘investing in infrastructural development, including the modernisation and expansion of the two international airports, improvement of the road network, and expansion and development of our cruise ship piers’. He highlighted that the recovery and future growth of the nation must be through tourism, stating, ‘If tourism’s recovery is to be responsible and sustainable, we must look beyond investments in accommodation and encourage investment in experiential marketing arrangements that will keep Jamaica competitive and cutting edge at all times’.

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Публикация от Travel Tomorrow (@traveltomorrow.eu)

Zoetry Hotel, one of several properties operated in Jamaica by AMResorts, reopened its 150 room property recently and the 700-room Secrets Resort, of the same company, has been back in operation since August 8. Kaylia Harrison, Associate Director of Sales, stated that a day after reopening, Zoetry hosted a wedding, and most prior bookings had rebooked for October, ‘so the occupancy is not looking badly at all. This weekend we will be in the 50s and 60s percentage wise, so that’s good’.

L’article ‘Rediscover Jamaica’ campaign successfully restarts tourism est apparu en premier sur Travel Tomorrow.