Dominican Republic braces for tourist surge as Hurricane Melissa disrupts travel to Jamaica and other destinations
Published:Tuesday | November 25, 2025 | 6:20 PM
The Dominican Republic is set to see a surge in visitors as Hurricane Melissa’s devastation across sections of Jamaica, The Bahamas, Cuba and Haiti has forced travellers to reroute to that country, according to chairman of the Civil Aviation Board, Héctor Porcella.
Porcella told Dominican media that his agency has authorised more than 800 emergency and regular charter flights to handle the unexpected demand, as travellers with bookings in storm-affected destinations are being rerouted to the Dominican Republic during the height of the tourist season.
“All that tourism is redirecting towards the Dominican Republic,” Porcella said, noting that thousands of travellers can no longer be accommodated in their original destinations due to widespread hotel closures, infrastructure collapse and supply-chain delays affecting reconstruction efforts.
The shift comes as these Caribbean destinations struggle to recover from Melissa, which caused unprecedented damage.
Jamaica, in particular, has seen significant losses in service capacity, with some of the island’s largest hotels not expected to reopen until between May and December 2026.
Among the properties facing extended delays are those operated by Decameron, which today confirmed that it has been forced to push its Jamaican reopening to January 31,2026.
The company said it has been unable to secure the materials and equipment needed for reconstruction due to logistical constraints.
“As of today, we do not have official information that would allow us to confirm a projected reopening date,” the hotel group stated.
“New travel dates may be rescheduled up to February 28, 2026.”
Decameron guests are being offered full refund should they decide to cancel or the option of selecting a sister property in Mexico or Panama.
This re-routing of Decameron guests adds to the mounting pressure on Jamaica’s recovering tourism sector, which is already grappling with reduced arrivals, disrupted airlift and the temporary months-along shutdown of several major resorts.
Tourism officials say the redirection of traffic to the Dominican Republic, one of the Caribbean’s largest hotel markets, underscores the competitive vulnerabilities Jamaica faces as it rebuilds.
While the country remains open for business and some attractions have resumed operations, airlift remains limited and recovery timelines vary widely across properties and parishes.
As the winter season approaches, the Dominican Republic is positioning itself as the primary alternative for displaced visitors, raising concerns about potential long-term market share shifts if Jamaica’s recovery stalls.
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