Blessing in disguise

WHEN Hurricane Melissa swept through Jamaica last October it left tourism businesses counting losses and racing to recover. But nearly a year later, Half Moon resort and Chukka Jamaica are looking beyond the devastation, using the disruption to refresh their properties, redesign experiences, and rethink their operations.

For Half Moon, the forced recovery has gone beyond repairing hurricane damage. The Montego Bay resort has used the interruption to undertake a broad refresh of its property, while Chukka Jamaica says the experience forced it to examine its processes and find ways to operate more efficiently.

Speaking during a Jamaica Product Exchange (JAPEX) 2026 Partner Media Update on Tuesday, director of sales and marketing for the Half Moon resort Sharon Logan said the hurricane created an opportunity for the resort to undertake work that would otherwise have been difficult to complete while guests were on property.