TTT NEWS NETWORK
NEW DELHI | 20 MAY 2026
Sandals Resorts International has announced a major investment programme across three of its Jamaica properties as the company prepares for the reopening of Sandals Montego Bay, Sandals Royal Caribbean, and Sandals South Coast ahead of the Winter 2026 travel season. The development reflects continued confidence in Jamaica’s tourism sector and supports the destination’s broader efforts to strengthen its hospitality offerings and long-term tourism growth strategy.
The investment forms part of ongoing efforts to enhance Jamaica’s tourism product through upgraded accommodations, refreshed public spaces and expanded guest experiences across the three resorts. Sandals Resorts International confirmed that Sandals Montego Bay and Sandals Royal Caribbean are scheduled to reopen in December 2026, while Sandals South Coast is expected to resume operations earlier in November 2026 following extensive renovation and redevelopment works. The reopening of the properties is also expected to restore significant room inventory ahead of Jamaica’s peak winter tourism season.
The upgrades are expected to include redesigned arrival areas, new accommodation categories, enhanced beachfront and pool experiences, and expanded dining concepts across the properties. As Jamaica continues to strengthen its tourism recovery and visitor offerings, investments in hospitality infrastructure remain an important component of the island’s continued tourism development.
The announcement also comes as Jamaica’s tourism sector continues to demonstrate strong recovery momentum following Hurricane Melissa, with the majority of tourism attractions, accommodations and supporting services now fully operational across the island. Recovery efforts have been supported by coordinated action between the Government, tourism stakeholders and industry partners to restore infrastructure, strengthen visitor confidence and maintain continuity across the sector.
Tourism Minister Edmund Bartlett highlighted the resilience demonstrated across the industry in the aftermath of the hurricane. “We are seeing a strong rebound in the tourism sector, which is a testament to the resilience of our people and the effectiveness of our recovery systems,” Bartlett said.
Director of Tourism Donovan White also underscored the destination’s continued focus on visitor experience and long-term sector growth. “Our focus remains on ensuring that visitors continue to enjoy a seamless and high-quality experience while we strengthen the sector for long-term growth,” White stated.
Further supporting Jamaica’s long-term tourism strategy, the Government is also moving to modernise the country’s tourism governance framework through the development of a new Tourism Authority Act, replacing the longstanding Tourist Board Act as part of the Ministry’s broader “Tourism 3.0” vision. According to the Ministry, the proposed legislation is intended to support a more modern and inclusive framework for industry development while strengthening linkages between tourism and local industries.
Commenting on the initiative, Bartlett said: “Since then, we have morphed into a tourism ministry with agencies, but we still have the Tourist Board Act. So, the first part of reimagining and getting Tourism 3.0 is a repealing of that act, a revision of that act, and the creation of a Tourism Authority Act.”
As Jamaica continues to strengthen its tourism product through investment, recovery initiatives and sector modernisation, the destination remains focused on enhancing visitor experiences and supporting sustainable long-term growth across the industry.
ABOUT THE JAMAICA TOURIST BOARD :
The Jamaica Tourist Board (JTB), founded in 1955, is Jamaica’s national tourism agency based in the capital city of Kingston. JTB offices are also located in Montego Bay, Miami, Toronto and London. Representative offices are in Berlin, Barcelona, Rome, Amsterdam, New Delhi, Tokyo and Paris.
Jamaica is home to some of the world’s best accommodations, attractions and service providers that continue to receive prominent global recognition. In 2025, TripAdvisor® ranked Jamaica as the #13 Best Honeymoon Destination, #11 Best Culinary Destination, and #24 Best Cultural Destination in the World. In 2024, Jamaica was declared ‘World’s Leading Cruise Destination’ and ‘World’s Leading Family Destination’ for the fifth consecutive year by the World Travel Awards, which also named the JTB the ‘Caribbean’s Leading Tourist Board’ for the 17th consecutive year.
Jamaica earned six Travvy Awards, including a gold for ‘Best Travel Agent Academy Program’ and silver for ‘Best Culinary Destination – Caribbean’ and ‘Best Tourism Board – Caribbean’. The destination also received bronze recognition for ‘Best Destination – Caribbean’, ‘Best Wedding Destination – Caribbean’, and ‘Best Honeymoon Destination – Caribbean’. Additionally, Jamaica received a TravelAge West WAVE award for ‘International Tourism Board Providing the Best Travel Advisor Support’ for a record-setting 12th time.
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