Sunwing Vacations is working hard to make sure travellers and the trade have Jamaica vacation destinations on their radar for winter 2025-2026.

As the island continues its recovery from Hurricane Melissa’s Oct. 28 hit, many top getaway spots including Negril and Ocho Rios are ready to welcome travellers with open arms.

And Sunwing Vacations is there to help.

The tour operator has created a dedicated ‘Jamaica Together’ page on Sunwing.ca (www.sunwing.ca that provides travel advisors and customers information on which resorts are open and ready to travel to.

The site is full of info, recent resort photos and more.

GlobalMedic packing party, December 2025

Rondel Village Hotel, Negril

“This helps to reduce the guesswork and ensures advisors can book their customers with confidence,” Eric Rodriguez, EVP, Sunwing Vacations Group, says.

“We’ve created a ‘Verified Jamaica’ collection of resorts that have been visited and inspected recently by our product team. This included confirming resort operations (clean accommodations, dining service, attentive staff), amenities (pools, beach areas, rooms) and experiences (easy transfers, safe roads),” he added.

Beautiful beach views at Riu Ocho Rios

“The resorts that have been verified have a dedicated stamp to indicate for travel advisors and customers which properties have been visited.”

The complete list of verified hotels is available through the Sunwing Travel Agent Portal.

“It's A Delicate Balance”

It can be challenging for tour operators, airlines, tourism boards and more to promote the regions of a hurricane-hit destination that are ready for visitors, while still supporting the harder-hit areas.

As Rodriguez said: “You’re right, it’s a delicate balance so we’re focusing on specific hotel operational readiness, regardless of location. We’re working closely with the Jamaica Tourist Board as well as the resort partners to understand their timeline for when they will be ready to welcome guests.”

Travelweek asked Rodriguez what percentage of Jamaica resorts normally available through Sunwing Vacations are currently accepting travellers.

“Currently, approximately 30% of resorts have already reopened, with over 60% expected to be operational by mid-December,” he said. “Our WestJet flight operations are back to normal, as are the options to book a Jamaica package and NexusTours excursions in Jamaica.”

Rodriguez added that many of Sunwing Vacations’ partners “are doing everything they can” to open as soon as they can while still ensuring a safe and positive experience for customers arriving to Jamaica. He noted that some of the RIU Hotels & Resorts properties in Jamaica were among the first to re-open their doors with 100% of their facilities soon after Hurricane Melissa passed. RIU committed US$1 million to help their employees build their homes back.

“We are working together to bring back Canadians to Jamaica!” added Rodriguez.

Samsara Cliff Hotel

Moon Palace Jamaica

Packing Aid With Global Medic

Sunwing Vacations and the WestJet Group have long been dedicated partners to Jamaican tourism.

In its efforts to help the island post-Melissa, the Sunwing Vacations Group and WestJet Group implemented several initiatives in November and will continue to support Jamaica.

Immediately after the hurricane passed, Sunwing Vacations Group & WestJet Group employees partnered with GlobalMedic to pack aid boxes. WestJet then provided cargo space and flights for the GlobalMedic volunteers delivering aid to the affected areas.  Another packing event is planned for this month with GlobalMedic.

Vacation Express by Sunwing has also already raised over $30,000 for recovery efforts in Jamaica.

Riu Ocho Rios

Through Dec. 14, Sunwing Vacations is also donating $100 per couple for every all-inclusive package booked to Jamaica, plus NexusTours will be donating $40 for each Jamaican excursion booked during this period. Proceeds from the company’s employee holiday parties will also be donated to Jamaica's recovery efforts.

These combined funds go directly to GlobalMedic for more essential supplies to be sent to Jamaica.

Source: Travelweek