Holness urges global competitiveness as RIU marks 25 years in Jamaica

Prime Minister Andrew Holness used RIU Hotels and Resorts' 25th anniversary gala in Montego Bay on 18 June 2026 to argue that Jamaica must compete on the world stage not only for tourists and capital, but for skilled workers and families seeking a future abroad.

Holness joined Tourism Minister Edmund Bartlett, Spanish Ambassador José María Fernández López de Terresa, opposition representative Andrea Perkins, and other officials at the RIU Theatre. The event marked a quarter-century since the Spanish chain opened RIU Palace Tropical Bay in Negril in 2001, becoming the first Spanish hotel group to make Jamaica a principal Caribbean destination. RIU now runs seven properties with more than 4,200 rooms and welcomes roughly half a million guests each year.

Managing Director Joan Trian Ríu said about 4,000 colleagues work across the group, 99 per cent of them Jamaican. Over the past five years, the company reported paying more than J$12 billion in salaries, contributing over J$14.3 billion in social security and taxes, and spending J$66 billion with local suppliers. Bartlett put total investment across 25 years at more than US$750 million, or about J$118 billion.

Leaders on both sides cited Hurricane Melissa as proof of the partnership's strength. Workers sheltered guests while many faced storm damage at home. RIU set up a US$1 million fund for housing repairs, distributed care packages, and joined World Central Kitchen to provide more than 100,000 hot meals. Every hotel reopened before the end of the year.

In his keynote, Holness commended staff who stayed on duty during the hurricane and said countries now compete for people through the same measures of safety, welcome, opportunity and confidence. "Countries are competing for people," he said, urging Jamaicans to see themselves as players on the field rather than spectators. He noted Spain drew nearly 100 million tourists in 2025 while Jamaica remains ambitious about reaching five million visitors.

Ambassador Fernández linked RIU's growth to deepening Jamaica–Spain economic ties, noting tourism accounts for about 12 per cent of GDP and employment in both countries. The company also recognised 25 employees with 25 years of service across its Jamaican resorts.