Jamaica: Caribbean island which gave us rum and reggae sees surge in tourism - here's why
The Caribbean is always high on holiday wish lists but there is one island which pushes to the top with its unrelenting musical beat and sends out welcome vibes across the globe.
Many UK airlines have hugely increased the numbers of flights to Jamaica in recent months as demand surges. It is a destination on most people's bucket lists and, for a distant island with a population of less than 3 million, it commands a big presence on the international stage.
Some countries are famous for the musicians they produce. This place gave birth to a whole style of music and reggae has run from its Jamaican roots right into the rhythms of every continent. Do I even need to mention Bob Marley? There are world famous athletes - and then there is Usain Bolt. The world's fastest man who has fans cheering from all corners of the globe but his name is never cheered more loudly than in his home country. Of course, you can't forget the cuisine. Jamaica has given the world jerk chicken, rice and peas, rum, Blue Mountain coffee .... the list is long and hits a spicy note in kitchen's across the globe.
Jamaica is seeing a much welcomed resurgence in visitors, particularly from Brits. The government has put a huge amount of work into promoting tourism and it seems to be paying off. This is a country where you are enchanted by the crystal clear seas and white sands even before your plane touches down in Montego Bay, and perfect weather is all year round. There is even something magical about the rain. Not only do the intensely heavy showers create one of the few truly green islands amid tropical temperatures, the spectacular downpours never lasts long.
But this fiercely proud nation has more than its fair share of troubles, poverty is rife and violence, though falling, remains high away from the tourist areas. At home, it is easy to dismiss the impact of slavery in 2025 and say the world has moved on. In Jamaica, the scars are still visible and cutting deep.
I headed to the island to find out more and to see why the pull is so great. To be honest, the badly-kept secret became obvious with the first person we met - Jamaicans are the reason visitors always want to return.
The final few hours of my trip coincided with Emancipation Day. A national bank holiday where Jamaicans celebrate the bravery and determination of slaves who fought with their lives to force the British Government to abolish the wicked trade in human beings. That is followed a few days later by Independence Day. This is a nation which loves to party and the annual celebrations of both of these milestones truly celebrate Jamaica today - how far it has come and hopes for the future.
Jamaicans dream big. Nothing illustrates this more clearly than home building projects. Dotted across the island in huge numbers are partially finished constructions, homes where families live in the small completed part attached to the unfinished frame of bigger structures. Jamaicans don't build a small home that they can afford right now. They would rather start on their dream mansion even if it isn't finished for decades - or ever. This bizarrely unique trait is something that tourists always spot and question, left scratching their heads when they are given the answer.
Therein lies another example of why Jamaica sits so high on bucket lists. The food, the music, the celebrities and the beauty - but the people are what will make your holiday. Jamaicans love to laugh, always have a story to tell and want everyone to know. They're loud and proud and so much fun they are impossible to ignore. This was my first stay at Sandals and, just like the whole country, the friendliness and high energy of the staff really separate your stay from any other elsewhere in the world. They love a good time and want everyone to join in.
You'll not meet a Jamaican anywhere in the world who doesn't wish they were back home, if economic circumstances were different. And, you'll never have even the briefest conversation with a Jamaican without them making sure you know exactly where they're from. It's that vibrancy that sets Jamaica apart. Tourism is a vital part of how the country makes money and it creates tens of thousands of jobs. They genuinely want visitors to have the best time and experience their own slices of paradise.
Sandals has played a huge part in that since it opened its first hotel in the 1980s. Owned by a Jamaican, employing Jamaicans and working with Jamaican charities to help improve Jamaican lives, it brings the very best of everything that makes the island special. It has expanded across the Caribbean over the decades but its heart will always be in the spot, alongside Montego Bay Airport, where it all began.
A seven-night stay for two adults at Sandals Montego Bay, Jamaica staying in a Caribbean Deluxe room costs from £1,480 per adult. Price includes all-inclusive accommodation which includes a la carte dining, drinks including premium spirits, complimentary land and water sports, Wi-Fi, resort entertainment and more. Price is valid for travel on select dates in September 2025.
All prices are subject to change and availability. To book, call 0800 597 0002. For more information about Sandals Resorts visit www.sandals.co.uk.
A week or two lounging in Sandal's luxury would be a dream but staff encourage you to step outside the all-inclusive resort and experience more. It is hard to know where to start when picking just a few must-see spots. My favourite is Dunns River Falls. It is truly exhilarating to climb these magnificent waterfalls and submerge yourself in the rockpools shaded by banana trees. It is also one of the many spots which has appeared in James Bond films. Ian Fleming wrote his 007 sagas while living in Jamaica and the inspiration is clear to see. I would have loved to have visited the crocodile site which featured in Live and Let Die but it sadly closed years ago.
The beaches are unmissable and Negril is, arguably, top of the beauty list. Across the island you can swim with dolphins, take on high adrenaline sports, snorkel with sparkling rainbow fish and even experience the glistening waters of Luminous Lagoon.
For me, it is some of the more everyday things that won my heart. Watching the sunset with a cool Red Stripe surrounded by the chatter of islanders and beat of reggae is top of my list. Sampling fruits that taste nothing like they do back home - the sunshine flavour of tiny bananas, juicy mangos straight from the tree and pineapples so sweet they are hard to recognise. Feeling the best of the island for both locals and tourists, getting carried away by the Jamaican rhythm.
"I shouldn't say it," one Jamaican said to me, "but we aren't the only pretty island in the world so there has to be something special about Jamaica that makes us so well known and makes everyone want to come here." I have a one word answer - Jamaicans. Out of many, one people.