Jamaica, one of the Caribbean’s most iconic destinations, has attracted a growing number of tourists. In 2019, Jamaica received 4.2 million annual tourists, doubling the number of visitors from 20 years ago.

However, after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020, tourism came to a halt as many countries in the Caribbean, including Jamaica, closed borders to air and sea passengers to prevent a spike in infections and deaths.

Tourism is a valuable source of employment, government revenue, and foreign exchange earnings in Jamaica. Since the global pandemic hit, services industries in Jamaica, like hotels and restaurants, which only represent a proportion of the tourism sector, have been hard hit . Data from the Ministry of Tourism indicates that a minimum of 50,000 employees directly employed in the tourism sector have been laid off, and this figure could be even higher when considering indirect impacts and the informal sector. 

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