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Minister of Tourism, Hon. Edmund Bartlett (L) beams as he accepts the Tourism Minister of the Year – Worldwide award from Yatan Ahluwalia, Secretary General, Pacific Area Travel Writers Association (PATWA) at the recent 26th PATWA World Tourism Leaders’ Summit & PATWA International Travel Awards.

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Minister Bartlett Earns Top Global Tourism Honour at PATWA Awards

KINGSTON, Jamaica; Thursday, March 12, 2026: Minister of Tourism, Hon. Edmund Bartlett, has been named Tourism Minister of the Year – Worldwide by the Pacific Area Travel Writers Association (PATWA), in recognition of his outstanding leadership and contribution to global tourism development. The award was presented recently at the 26th PATWA World Tourism Leaders’ Summit & PATWA International Travel Awards, which celebrates excellence, innovation and leadership within the international travel and tourism industry. Minister Bartlett’s recognition reflects his longstanding advocacy for tourism resilience, sustainability and innovation, as well as his instrumental role in shaping policies that have strengthened Jamaica’s tourism sector and influenced global best practices. Minister Bartlett reaffirmed his commitment to advancing the industry and building stronger, future-ready tourism frameworks worldwide. “I have dedicated my career to strengthening tourism as a driver of economic growth, opportunity and global connectivity,” he said.

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Minister Bartlett Earns Top Global Tourism Honour at PATWA Awards

KINGSTON, Jamaica; Thursday, March 12, 2026: Minister of Tourism, Hon. Edmund Bartlett, has been named Tourism Minister of the Year – Worldwide by the Pacific Area Travel Writers Association (PATWA), in recognition of his outstanding leadership and contribution to global tourism development. The award was presented recently at the 26th PATWA World Tourism Leaders’ Summit & PATWA International Travel Awards, which celebrates excellence, innovation and leadership within the international travel and tourism industry. Minister Bartlett’s recognition reflects his longstanding advocacy for tourism resilience, sustainability and innovation, as well as his instrumental role in shaping policies that have strengthened Jamaica’s tourism sector and influenced global best practices. Minister Bartlett reaffirmed his commitment to advancing the industry and building stronger, future-ready tourism frameworks worldwide. “I have dedicated my career to strengthening tourism as a driver of economic growth, opportunity and global connectivity,” he said.

Hon. Edmund Bartlett, Minister of Tourism (left) and Donovan White, Director of Tourism (right) accept the award for Destination of the Year from Yatan Ahluwalia, Secretary General, PATWA (centre) at the 26th PATWA World Tourism Leaders’ Summit & PATWA International Travel Awards held on March 4, 2026.

Jamaica Wins Big at Prestigious PATWA Awards

Jamaica has secured six major honours at the Pacific Area Travel Writers Association (PATWA) International Travel Awards, including the coveted Destination of the Year title, with S Hotel Jamaica and the Montego Bay Convention Centre also earning top accolades, further reinforcing the island’s standing as a global leader in tourism excellence. The prestigious honour was presented recently at the 26th PATWA World Tourism Leaders’ Summit & PATWA International Travel Awards, which recognizes excellence, innovation and leadership across the global travel and tourism industry. Jamaica’s designation underscores the island’s strong tourism performance, strategic global marketing, resilient recovery efforts and continued investment in sustainable development. The award reflects the destination’s ability to deliver authentic cultural experiences, world-class accommodations and warm hospitality, while maintaining its standing as one of the Caribbean’s leading tourism economies.

Minister of Tourism, Hon Edmund Bartlett (c) makes his presentation during a panel discussion on ‘The Understanding: Polycrisis in Travel’ at ITB, Berlin on Tuesday March 3, 2026. Seen also are L-R panellists, Aziz Abu Sarah, Co-Founder bei ME JDI Tours and Stephen Dutton, Global Insight Manager, Travel bei Euromonitor International.

Minister of Tourism Calls for Innovation, Resilience, and Connection to Navigate Global Poly-Crisis

Minister of Tourism, Hon. Edmund Bartlett, delivered a wide-ranging address recently during a high-level panel discussion on poly-crisis and its impact on the global tourism industry, underscoring both the profound vulnerabilities and remarkable resilience of tourism as the world’s most important economic activity. Speaking before an international audience of tourism leaders, policymakers, and industry stakeholders at ITB Berlin, the Minister emphasised that tourism operates at the intersection of geophysical, climatic, maritime, and political forces — making it uniquely susceptible to global disruption, yet equally capable of recovery and growth. “We are the most vulnerable of all economic activities on planet Earth,” the Minister stated, “but we also have the capacity to respond, to recover, to bounce forward — not bounce back — and to thrive thereafter.”

Jamaica Sees Record Growth in Latin American Visitors as Air Connectivity Reaches New Heights

Growth powered by Surging arrivals from key LATAM markets and a wave of new routes KINGSTON; Jamaica; Friday February 27, 2026 — Minister of Tourism, Hon Edmund Bartlett has welcomed the continued record-breaking growth in visitor arrivals from Latin America in 2025 which is being driven by expansion in air seat capacity across the region. The results reflect deepening demand from six primary source markets — Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Mexico, and Peru — and a robust airline network that continues to grow into 2026. Jamaica recorded its strongest-ever performance from Latin American markets last year, with total visitor arrivals from the region growing by more than 62,000 passengers compared to the prior year. Peru, Argentina, and Chile each posted particularly notable gains, reflecting growing awareness of Jamaica as a premier Caribbean destination among South American travellers.

Bartlett Travels to South America and Europe to Boost Market Diversification

KINGSTON, Jamaica; Friday, February 27, 2026: Minister of Tourism, Hon. Edmund Bartlett, departed the island earlier this week, for a high-level, multi-country marketing mission spanning South America and Europe, as Jamaica intensifies its strategic thrust to diversify source markets, strengthen airlift and buttress global tourism demand. The tourism minister is currently in Bogotá, Colombia, where he is leading a three-day Jamaica Tourist Board (JTB) marketing blitz across Colombia and Panama, designed to directly accelerate visitor arrivals from Latin America by securing the two critical pillars of tourism growth: airlift and sales. The mission is a targeted, high-impact initiative focused on airline negotiations, trade engagement and market penetration. On Thursday, February 26, Minister Bartlett held back-to-back strategic meetings with senior executives at Avianca Airlines and Wingo Airlines at their respective headquarters in Bogotá.

Minister of Tourism, Found and Co-Chair off the Global Tourism Resilience and Crisis Management Centre, Hon Edmund Bartlett pauses for a photo opportunity with (L-R), Minister of Wildlife Conservation and Tourism, South Sudan, Hon Denay Chagor, Hon Rebecca Miano, EGH, Cabinet Secretary, Ministry of Tourism and Wildlife, Kenya, Hon Augusto Laurindo Kalikemala, Secretary of State, Minister of Tourism, Angola and Hon Kwete Lobo Valere, Charge d’etude, Minister of Tourism, Democratic Republic of Congo.

Minister Bartlett Marks 4th Global Tourism Resilience Day Conference in Nairobi with Renewed Call for Global Resilience Fund

NAIROBI; Kenya; February 19, 2026 – Jamaica’s Minister of Tourism, Hon Edmund Bartlett, on Monday, February 16, delivered a powerful call to action for the global tourism community to move ‘From Crisis to Transformation’ as he addressed the opening of the 4th Global Tourism Resilience Day Conference and Expo in Nairobi, Kenya. Hosted in partnership with the Government of Kenya and anchored by the Kenyatta University, the conference convened global tourism leaders, policymakers, academics, and private sector stakeholders to examine the urgent need for building resilience in an era of constant disruption. Speaking under the conference theme ‘From Crisis to Transformation’, Minister Bartlett outlined the overlapping global challenges reshaping tourism, including climate shocks, health-security threats, geopolitical instability, economic volatility, public safety concerns, cybercrime, and the growing threat of misinformation and disinformation.

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