Foundation Support for Tourism Workers After Hurricane

Tourism Minister Launches $70M Housing Programme for Hurricane-Affected Workers

Recipients of the Tourism Housing Assistance & Recovery Programme (THARP) pose with Tourism Minister Hon. Edmund Bartlett (front row, seventh from right) and Christopher Jarrett, President of the Jamaica Hotel and Tourist Association (front row, centre).

KINGSTON, Jamaica – The Tourism Enhancement Fund (TEF) officially launched a $70 million housing assistance programme. This initiative aims at helping tourism workers rebuild their homes following the devastating impact of Hurricane Melissa.

The Tourism Housing Assistance & Recovery Programme (THARP) was unveiled at the Jamaica Pegasus Hotel, where Minister of Tourism, Hon. Edmund Bartlett, announced that 700 tourism workers would benefit from the initial allocation, with vouchers valued at $100,000 each.

“Tourism does not only restore rooms for visitors. Tourism rebuilds roofs for workers,” Minister Bartlett declared at the ceremony. The event also saw some of the programme’s first recipients receiving their vouchers.

Hurricane Melissa, which struck Jamaica on November 2 as a Category 5 system, caused widespread damage to homes and infrastructure. The affected areas include the tourism corridor and surrounding communities.

Tourism Housing Assistance & Recovery Programme (THARP) Packages

THARP offers three distinct support packages designed to address varying levels of damage. Package A covers roofing and light repairs to quickly weatherproof homes. Meanwhile, Package B addresses structural repair and foundation support for more serious damage. Package C provides comprehensive rebuild and interior repair assistance. It aims to restore full liveability.

The programme has already received over 60 applications. These are being processed swiftly through a newly launched online portal at tef.gov.jm.

Beyond the voucher system, TEF will construct five block-and-steel homes immediately. There are plans for an additional ten permanent homes for workers who lost everything in the hurricane.

Minister Bartlett also provided an update on the broader Jamaica Tourism Cares relief initiative, which mobilized over US$15 million in cash and in-kind support following the hurricane.

The relief effort distributed more than 500 pallets of critical supplies and over 6,000 care packages to affected tourism workers. Plans are underway to support an additional 8,000 workers in the first quarter of 2026.

“Jamaica did not stand as a passive victim of disaster. We stood as an organised, credible partner in relief and recovery,” Bartlett stated.

Private Sector Support

The initiative partnered with major international companies including Carnival, Royal Caribbean, Air Canada, and United Airlines. Additionally, organizations like World Central Kitchen participated. They distributed more than 2 million meals through the Montego Bay Convention Centre.

THARP is open to tourism workers aged 18 to 59, including both permanent and contract employees, as well as self-employed individuals. Eligible workers include hotel staff, craft vendors, tour operators, red cap porters, contract carriage operators, and attraction workers.

The programme prioritizes parishes in Hurricane Melissa’s direct path. These include St. Elizabeth, Westmoreland, Hanover, St. James, and Trelawny.

Applications can be submitted online at tef.gov.jm, through participating hotels, through small and medium tourism enterprises, or through TEF technical staff conducting field verification.

With continued private sector support, THARP is expected to expand to assist up to 20,000 tourism workers across Jamaica.

Minister Bartlett emphasized that the programme represents more than relief: “This programme is not charity. It is recognition. It is a statement that the people who build Jamaica’s tourism will not be left behind as Jamaica rebounds.”

A final Jamaica Tourism Cares report is expected to be presented by December 31, 2025.