Since Hurricane Melissa hit the Caribbean, the region has been struggling to get back on its feet. In Jamaica, the Bahamas, Cuba, and Haiti, tourism is recovering slowly, with some hotels not planning to open before mid or end 2026. The Dominican Republic, however, stands ready to welcome lost tourists and has authorised an additional 800 flights in that regard.
On 28 October 2025, Hurricane Melissa made landfall on Jamaica. The Category 5 storm caused extensive damage to the western part of the country, in particular, with 76% of the power grid operational at the end of November and 82% of customers having access to water once again. On the island, 45 people were killed, 16 others are still missing, and 11 people are thought to have died of leptospirosis since.
Although Tourism Minister Edmund Bartlett estimates 60% of hotel rooms in Jamaica to be available once again by mid-December, and while cruise ships have started to return, many other hotels remain closed, and the tourism sector in Jamaica, as well as in the Bahamas, Cuba, and Haiti, is struggling to get back to normal as well. Until mid-2026, capacity levels on the islands are likely to remain below usual.
After the passage of Hurricane Melissa, the people of Negril came together cleaning, rebuilding and restoring before sunrise the very next day. Following a tour of the resort area yesterday, Minister of Tourism, Hon. Edmund Bartlett, proudly announced that Negril will officially pic.twitter.com/Tvv40PP8CH
— Ministry Of Tourism Jamaica (@tourismja) November 29, 2025
An unusual opportunity
Since the disaster, the Dominican Republic has, however, experienced a surge in tourism. Many of those who had planned to vacation in the Northern Caribbean flocked to the Dominican Republic instead. At the start of what is traditionally the region’s busiest season, the island is thus preparing itself for more, in order to benefit as much as possible from the – albeit tragic – situation.
According to Héctor Porcella, president of the Dominican Republic’s Civil Aviation Board, 800 additional flights – both regular and charter – were authorised in one fell swoop. He expected tourists initially heading to Jamaica in particular to be headed toward the Dominican Republic instead.
“This will have a positive impact on hotel occupancy in the Dominican Republic, and Dominican hotels have the capacity to receive that influx”, stated Nairobi Santos, spokesperson for the country’s Association of Hotels and Tourism.
The 800 additional flights are spread over a period of eight months. According to Santos, an average occupancy rate of over 95% is projected for the holiday season. In October, hotel occupancy rates already rose to 63% compared to 58% in September, statistics from the Dominican Central Bank show. Data for November are not yet available, but the Dominican Republic welcomed over 8 million visitors between January and October 2025.
