Everything is coming up irie when it comes to Jamaican tourism and the Canadian market. And with an abundance of sun, sand, and sea, what’s not to love about the island that offers the perfect winter escape for weather-worn Canadians?
According to Donovan White, the director of tourism at the Jamaica Tourism Board (JTB), more than 30,000 visitors travelled to Jamaica last year from Canada, and the island’s overall tourism performance to date, specifically related to the Canadian market, increased eight percent over the year. But even more exciting than past numbers is what’s ahead.
Winter capacity for 2026 is up 22 percent over 2025, and a total of 365,000 seats will be flown to Jamaica compared to the past winter’s 293,000 seats, said White, who was addressing a crowd of journalists, dignitaries like Kurt Davis, Consul General of Jamaica, and others at Toronto’s W Hotel last Friday.
White acknowledged JTB’s partners at Sunwing, Transat, Caribbean Airlines and their newest partner, Flair, which will launch Toronto-Montego Bay flights this December. Air Canada and WestJet also offer flights to the island. And White also hinted at a potential deal with Porter Airlines coming in 2026.
“Our relationship with the Canadian traveller has never been stronger,” said Montego Bay-based White, adding that for the first time, there will be direct flights from Quebec City between December and April thanks to a Sunwing and WestJet partnership.
“We’re extremely happy about this negotiation that took two-and-a-half years in the making,” said White. “We were insistent, resilient and indeed persistent in ensuring that we make this happen for Quebec City. We’re working our ‘you know what’s’ off to ensure that we make this happen successfully, so we keep the seats flying out of the city.”
Weekly flights out of Edmonton will return from Nov. 2 to Apr. 12 on WestJet and Air Canada will launch Ottawa and Halifax flights in December.
“The big picture — and this will be the headline that we’ll put on a billboard somewhere in the city — out of Toronto to Jamaica there will be 10 flights per week. There’s no reason not to sell Jamaica and fill those planes to Jamaica,” he said.
Flair will be launching daily year-round service from Toronto starting in December 14.
“And here’s the kicker, with fares starting as low as $189!” he said excitedly to a cheering crowd.
From left to right: Fiona Fennell, PR Communications Manager; Dan Hamilton, District Sales Manager; Angella Bennett, Regional Director, Canada; Donovan White, Director of Tourism JBT (Photo Credit: Charmaine Noronha)
New Developments
To cater to the increased demand in tourism, the island will also be graced with several new or renovated properties.
In March 2026, Unico plans to open a 445-room hotel in Montego Bay — its first venture in the English-speaking Caribbean. The company also intends to build a 1,100-room Hard Rock Hotel on the same property.
Last month, right next door to where Unico and Hard Rock will be built, the minister of tourism broke ground on another new construction project: the Moon Palace resort is expected to be the Caribbean’s tallest building with 34 stories, 1,100 rooms and is scheduled for completion in 2027.
Bahia Principe will undertake a massive renovation, which will add 750 new rooms next year, and they’re also getting ready to break ground for the development of a second hotel on the property.
Everything Old is New Again
The Royalton Chic in Runaway Bay has been acquired and is currently undergoing a comprehensive renovation and expansion, with a reopening projected for 2026.
Secrets is set to build a brand-new hotel, and Grand Palladium has broken ground on a 900-room expansion of its existing property.
In Green Island, Hanover, the Princess Hotel is developing Jamaica’s first casino, scheduled to open in December. The addition is expected to attract a new demographic of travellers and further diversify the tourism offering.
In Negril, Footeprints has undergone a complete transformation, repositioning itself firmly within the luxury market. The reimagined property is setting a new benchmark for boutique hotels in Jamaica.
“I’m proud of this one because it’s one of our original boutique hotels,” he added. “It is fantastic. They’ve completely modernized it. They’ve truly positioned it now into boutique luxury segment,” said White.
While bookings for Jamaica remain strong across all markets, White maintains a humble yet ambitious outlook for Canada.
“We’re competing not just with the Caribbean, but with Europe, Asia, and Africa. So far, Jamaica is pacing 11 percent ahead in winter bookings, thanks in large part to growth in Quebec City and renewed momentum in Western Canada,” he said. “But we’re still just scratching the surface and need to dig deeper into those markets. There’s a lot more to come.
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