Some 311 passengers plus staff from the United Kingdom who were affected by the Thomas Cook collapse, were scheduled to leave the island on a special flight Monday evening.
International travel agent Thomas cook, collapsed Monday after last-ditch talks to secure a 250 million pound bailout from the UK failed.
The collapse left thousands of people, mainly UK citizens, stranded at vacation spots around the world.
British High Commissioner to Jamaica, Asif Ahmad, says a special team from the UK is working alongside High Commission staff in Montego Bay.
In addition, the Commission is reaching out to those affected to ensure that they are helped.
The High Commission is in touch with UK government agencies, Jamaican government ministers, the airlines, airport and hotel operators.
Monday High Commissioner Ahmad met with Tourism Minister Ed Bartlett to discuss a detailed repatriation plan including using Montego Bay as a hub for persons in Cuba.
The High Commission says all costs incurred on behalf of Thomas Cook travellers by hotels and other suppliers since the liquidation will be reimbursed under the Air Travel Organiser’s Licence, which is a government-run, financial protection scheme, operated by Britain’s Civil Aviation Authority.
The Commission says it is looking at how to reassure Britons that Jamaica remains an attractive destination for those who had intended to visit the island with Thomas Cook.
It says it is collating information on the remaining travellers who are due to depart over the next two weeks and expects this to be just under 300 people.
In a post on Twitter, the British High Commissioner says he is grateful for Jamaica’s support in looking after people who travelled with Thomas Cook.
Meantime, Jamaica will be seeking to find new ways to bring tourists from Britain.
This as the tourism ministry is expecting to see fallout from the Thomas Cook collapse.
The ministry says flights from Manchester in the UK to Montego Bay, Jamaica, which were inaugurated in May of this year will be the first major impact.
It is also expecting challenges with the Nordic market, where upcoming winter flights between Sweden and Montego Bay are expected to be impacted.
The Jamaica Hotel and Tourist Association, JHTA, says it’s working to mitigate any potential fallout in travel to and from Jamaica.
The company has had a long relationship with Jamaica and has been offering all-inclusive holidays to Montego Bay from Manchester, Glasgow and Gatwick airports and from the Nordic region.
The JHTA is assisting visitors in returning to the UK, to secure forward bookings to the island.
President of the JHTA, Omar Robinson, says a number of guests have been left stranded, however, the UK government has committed to repatriating customers as close as possible to their booked return date, on special free flights or other scheduled airlines, at no extra cost.