Tourism Opens the Door to Investment, Holness Tells RIU Anniversary

Montego Bay, St James, 21 June 2026

Prime Minister Dr Andrew Holness has described tourism as one of the most important doorways to investment in Jamaica, arguing that the goodwill visitors carry home helps persuade investors that the island is a safe and familiar place to put their money.

He was speaking on Thursday, 18 June, at RIU Montego Bay, where the hotel group was marking 25 years of operations in Jamaica.

From visitor to investor

Dr Holness set out a chain of cause and effect. A good holiday, he said, builds familiarity with the country; familiarity breeds confidence; and confidence is what draws capital. In his telling, a visitor who has seen the place, met the people and grasped the culture and legal system is far more likely to consider investing later.

“Tourism is not simply an industry,” he told guests, describing it instead as a country’s first introduction to the wider world.

Jobs, suppliers and talent

The Prime Minister pointed to the anniversary host as an example of how investment spreads benefits outward, creating work for employees and business for suppliers while broadening Jamaica’s tourism brand.

He also tied investment to the long-running problem of skilled Jamaicans leaving for jobs overseas. Opportunities created at home, he said, help keep talent on the island and can attract skilled people from elsewhere. Jamaica, he argued, has been a net exporter of talent for close to two centuries and now needs to position itself as a destination for skilled workers as well.

What it means for property

For the housing and property market, the argument has practical weight. Investor confidence built through tourism tends to show up first in resort areas such as Montego Bay, where hotel growth drives demand for staff housing, rental accommodation and commercial space. If more skilled workers stay in Jamaica, or relocate here, that adds to demand for homes to buy and rent across the parish and beyond.

For homeowners and landlords in St James, the Prime Minister’s message is a reminder that the fortunes of the local property market remain closely bound to the health of the tourism sector and the confidence it generates.