Niurka Garcia Linton, the director of sales for RIU Resorts Jamaica, says the Spanish hospitality giant, which is marking its 25th anniversary in Jamaica next month, will be doubling down instead of slowing down as it seeks to enlarge its local footprint.

“We’ve been here for 25 years, but the message is: We are here to stay; we are planted here. We are part of the destination,” said Garcia Linton, while addressing a recent press conference to launch the RIU celebrations.

Over the past five years, RIU has pumped US$287 million into new developments and property, and has signalled that it will be closing the RIU Palace Jamaica at the end of August for a full-scale multi-million-dollar transformation. The property is set to reopen in December.