The Jamaica Chamber of Commerce (JCC), in collaboration with GK Capital Management, will host the release of its 1st Quarter 2026 Business and Consumer Confidence Indices on Tuesday, April 21, 2026.

 The theme, “Financing Jamaica’s Future: How Tourism Performance Shapes Business & Consumer Financial Confidence,” will provide a critical barometer of the national economic sentiment following a period of significant recovery and infrastructure development. 

The indices, which remain the primary leading indicators for the Jamaican economy, are particularly anticipated as they measure how the resurgence in the tourism sector is trickling down into broader financial optimism and consumer spending power. Amidst the post-budget debate and as the nation looks toward the remainder of 2026, the data will offer essential insights into whether business leaders feel confident enough to accelerate capital investments. 

Powerhouse Panel

This quarter’s discussion brings together high-level voices from investment banking, public policy, tourism and private-sector leadership to examine a national question: when tourism performs strongly, how does that optimism translate into business expansion, borrowing, household spending, investment appetite and overall financial confidence across Jamaica? 

The panel will feature the Honourable Delano Seiveright, MP, Minister of State in the Ministry of Industry, Investment and Commerce, who is expected to address the government’s strategies for strengthening linkages between the hospitality industry and local manufacturers.  

Joining him are Christina Millington, Assistant Vice President of Investment Banking at GK Capital Management and Christopher Jarrett, CD, President of the Jamaica Hotel and Tourist Association, whose leadership has been pivotal in navigating the sector through recent labour and operational shifts. Completing the panel is Hon. Patrick Hylton, OJ, CD, newly announced President of the Private Sector Organisation of Jamaica and a titan of the Caribbean banking sector, who will discuss how tourism’s performance directly influences the availability of credit and the stability of the financial markets. 

For businesses, consumers and policymakers alike, the forum is expected to unpack how tourism performance affects confidence not only in hotels and attractions, but also in lending, investment, job creation, supply chains and long-term national growth.