As Jamaica and Cuba assess the damage from Hurricane Melissa, the Canadian travel industry is pulling for the recovery of these two favourite Caribbean destinations.

Angella Bennett, Regional Director for Canada for the Jamaica Tourist Board, greeted the industry “with a little update, and encouragement” via her social media message posted yesterday afternoon, just hours after Melissa made landfall on Jamaica.

“It’s been a really tough day on all of us here at the JTB as we wait for the passing of Hurricane Melissa,” said Bennett yesterday. “We are as prepared as we can be. But no one can be prepared for a Category 5.”

Initial reports in the storm’s aftermath show that Jamaica’s southern parish of St. Elizabeth bore the brunt of the hurricane. “St. Elizabeth is again getting a beating from this hurricane [just like Beryl in 2024],” said Bennett.

The JTB’s travel alert page with Hurricane Melissa FAQs can be found here.

Getting The Word Out To The Travel Industry, And Travellers

As bad as the damage is in St. Elizabeth parish, Jamaica is a big island and the challenge now will be not only to assess damage, but also to get the word out to Jamaica’s biggest inbound travel markets, including Canada, about other parts of the island that came through the storm relatively unscathed.

Live webcam footage this morning post-Melissa from Half Way Tree Clock in downtown Kingston shows a calm scene in the capital with Jamaicans going about their day, no doubt relieved this (hopefully) last storm of the 2025 hurricane season has passed.

Jamaica is home to 2.8 million residents, and more than half a million customers were without power as of late Tuesday.

The government said it hopes to reopen all of Jamaica’s airports as early as Thursday to ensure the quick distribution of emergency relief supplies.

Social media footage showed flooding and damage at Sangster International Airport in Montego Bay, which has been closed since Oct. 26.

According to local news source The Jamaica Observer, Montego Bay’s Mayor Richard Vernon said the initial assessment as Melissa bore down on Montego Bay was “rough.”

Airline Advisories Updated

Several of Canada’s airlines have updated and in some cases extended their travel alerts for destinations impacted by Melissa.

Air Canada has triggered its flexible rebooking policy for flights to and from: Kingston, Jamaica (Oct. 29-Nov. 4), Montego Bay (Oct. 29-Nov. 4), Varadero (Oct. 29), Cayo Coco (Oct. 29), Providenciales (Oct. 29-30); and Bermuda (Oct. 31). More information for Air Canada can be found here.

WestJet’s flexible booking policy has been extended for Holguin (Oct. 27-31), and now also includes Providenciales (Oct. 30-31). More information for WestJet can be found here.

Air Transat operated repatriation flights from Holguin back to Montreal and Toronto.Transat’s hurricane policy applies to Montego Bay (Oct. 31-Nov. 4) and Holguin (Oct. 31-Nov. 1). The policy applies to bookings for South packages and flight-only reservations operated by Air Transat. More information for Air Transat is here.

Sunwing Vacations customers travelling to Jamaica from any airport across Canada through Oct. 31 “are advised to check their flight status on WestJet.com before heading to the airport as there is potential for flights to be delayed or cancelled.”

Sunwing adds: “Out of an abundance of caution, Sangster International Airport in Montego Bay, Jamaica has closed until Wednesday, October 29. WestJet flights operating for Sunwing Vacations customers during this period have been cancelled.” More information for Sunwing Vacations can be found here.

Yesterday Carnival Cruise Line and the Micky and Madeline Arison Family Foundation in partnership with the Miami HEAT announced a US$1 million donation to relief efforts in Jamaica.

Cuba Takes A Hit

The Cuba Tourist Board has provided an update on Hurricane Melissa, confirming that the storm has weakened to a Category 2 hurricane after moving through the eastern part of the country.

The hurricane’s interaction with the Sierra Maestra Mountain range has contributed to its reduced intensity, said the tourism board. The central region of the storm passed through the province of Holguín, where calm conditions were reported in the municipalities of Cueto, Mayarí and Banes.

“As of 9 a.m. today, the hurricane was exiting the coast near Banes, moving out to sea at 22 km/h. Intense rainfall and strong wings were experienced throughout the region,” said the Cuba Tourist Board in a new statement this morning.

“As of Monday, tour operators have executed repatriation flights, leaving only 33 tourists (including Canadians) remaining in Holguin. These guests were safely evacuated to the Brisas Guardalavaca Hotel. Additionally, clients who had booked travel to Holguín since Monday and opted not to change their travel plans were successfully relocated to Cayo Coco.”

The Cuba Tourist Board notes that the temporary closures of airports in Santiago de Cuba and Holguín are still in effect and passengers should continue to consult with their travel agent or airline for specific flight information.

“While we are relieved that Hurricane Melissa has weakened, our primary focus remains on the safety and well-being of all individuals in the affected eastern provinces,” said Gihana Galindo, Director of the Cuba Tourist Board in Toronto. “We continue to coordinate with Cuba’s Civil Defense to ensure a safe and organized response, and we will keep travelers informed as the situation develops. We look forward to welcoming visitors to our stunning and safe destinations across the rest of the island, where operations are proceeding normally.”

All other popular tourist destinations, including Jardines del Rey, Varadero, Cayo Santa Maria , Cayo Largo, Cienfuegos, Trinidad and Havana remain fully operational, she added.