Prime Minister Holness salutes 25 years of RIU hotel investment in Jamaica

Prime Minister Andrew Holness headlined a Montego Bay ceremony marking 25 years of RIU Hotels and Resorts in Jamaica, where tourism leaders framed the Spanish chain as one of the island's most enduring foreign investors.

Tourism Minister Edmund Bartlett told the gathering that RIU has put more than US$750 million, or roughly J$118 billion, into Jamaica since opening Riu Palace Tropical Bay in Negril in 2001. The company was the first Spanish hotel group to make Jamaica a core Caribbean destination. Its footprint has since grown to seven properties, from Negril and Ocho Rios to Montego Bay, including Riu Palace Aquarelle, which opened in 2024. Bartlett said the expansion shows sustained confidence in Jamaica's tourism market.

Spanish Ambassador José María Fernández López de Turiso said the anniversary reflects shared success between Jamaica and Spain. He noted that Spanish firms have followed RIU's lead in Jamaica over the past 25 years, helping deepen economic ties between the two countries.

Managing Director Joan Trianne Riu said the group now operates more than 4,200 rooms and hosts about half a million guests annually. Over the last five years, she said, RIU paid more than J$14.3 billion in social security contributions and taxes, J$12 billion in salaries, and J$66 billion to Jamaican suppliers. She added that 99 per cent of its workforce is local.

Speakers repeatedly praised RIU's response to Hurricane Melissa, which struck in October and caused widespread damage across western Jamaica. Bartlett and Holness commended staff who remained on duty to protect guests while their own homes were affected. RIU provided care packages, launched a US$1 million fund to help workers repair homes, and worked with World Central Kitchen to distribute more than 100,000 hot meals. Joan Trianne Riu said all hotels reopened before the end of the year.

In his address, Holness said RIU's decision to invest in Jamaica was not inevitable and that each new property has renewed that commitment. He linked tourism to wider national competition for visitors, investment, and skilled talent, arguing that the qualities that draw tourists also attract businesses and workers. Jamaica, he said, must continue positioning itself as a destination of choice.

The programme also recognised 25 employees with 25 years of service across RIU's Jamaican hotels.