Tourism Minister Edmund Bartlett recently noted that more than 6,000 resort rooms are under construction or being renovated, underscoring the largest hotel and resort boom in Jamaica’s history. 

“Over 6,000 rooms are being built or renovated as we speak. This includes developments by Sandals, RCD Hotels with Unico and Hard Rock, Princess Resorts, Royalton, Bahia Principe,  Grand Palladium and RIU amounting to in excess of US$1.5 billion and creating over 12,000 construction jobs. It is also very encouraging that RCD Hotels, the developers of UNICO and Hard Rock Hotels in Montego Bay, St James are keen on constructing hundreds of houses for the benefit of hotel workers. This is a necessary game changer as the labour and housing shortages, given the current boom and the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, are putting a tremendous strain on our efforts,” Bartlett stressed in speaking with Our Today following the groundbreaking ceremony for the new UNICO 18º 77º Hotel Montego Bay, headlined by Prime Minister Andrew Holness. 

Just recently, the Planning Institute of Jamaica (PIOJ) announced that Jamaica’s economy grew by 4.3 per cent during the July to September quarter of 2022, compared with the same period in 2021, with the tourism and hospitality sector contributing significantly. According to the PIOJ, the Real Value Added for the Hotels & Restaurants industry was estimated to have grown by 29.6 per cent over the July to September 2022 quarter.  Of note, stopover visitor arrivals for July to August 2022 increased by an impressive 42.0 per cent relative to the corresponding period of 2021. 

“So, you can see that tourism is proving to be the engine of our economy as we emerge from the pandemic-induced challenges of the last two years and major investments in our product, infrastructure and marketing are helping to ensure the industry’s sustainable, resilient and inclusive growth,” Bartlett highlighted.

Overall, 2022 is proving to be a record year for arrivals with the Jamaica Tourist Board’s preliminary stopover figures for January 1 to November 21 indicating that the island has surpassed the two-million mark with some 2,067,021 visitors.

In commenting on the new UNICO hotel, RCD Hotels said: “We are excited to introduce a brand like UNICO in Jamaica and look forward to showcasing the island’s rich culture through the UNICO experience. Not skimping on a single detail. This property will highlight Jamaica’s local culture, art, cuisine and mixology through curated experiences both on and off the property.”