1,500 tourism workers benefit from $2 billion housing assistance programme, says Bartlett

KINGSTON, Jamaica—Up to 1,500 tourism workers who suffered loss as a result of Hurricane Melissa have benefitted from the Government’s 2 billion Tourism Housing Assistance Recovery Programme (THARP).The fund was established in December 2025 to help tourism workers stabilise livelihoods and recover after Hurricane Melissa devastated southwestern parishes last October.Tourism Minister Edmund Bartlett said the THARP, which is funded through the Tourism Enhancement Fund (TEF), provided non-repayable 100,000 grants and critical building materials for tourism workers whose homes were damaged or destroyed.“THARP prioritised employees in the most severely impacted parishes of St Elizabeth, Westmoreland, Hanover, St James and Trelawny, and was open to both permanent and contract tourism workers, as well as self-employed individuals,” said Bartlett.He provided the update on Tuesday during his contribution to the Sectoral Debate in the House of Representatives.Eligible workers include hotel staff, craft vendors, tour operators, red cap porters, contract carriage operators and attraction workers.“I am pleased to share that to date some 1,500 tourism workers have received THARP vouchers – and we continue to review the applications of hundreds of others,” Bartlett told the House.“That is compassion with structure. That is care with coordination. That is resilience with a human face,” he added.He said his ministry also moved quickly to restore the physical environment of the destination. In this regard, the TEF provided J275 million for a post-Hurricane Melissa clean-up exercise that was undertaken across designated resort areas. The works included clearing fallen trees, removing debris and illegal dump sites, trimming overgrown vegetation, and improving key tourism roadways.“Those interventions helped restore safe, clean and accessible visitor corridors, supported the reopening of tourism-related businesses, and helped rebuild confidence in Jamaica’s tourism product,” Bartlett said.