Minister Bartlett to Chair OAS Tourism Recovery Working Group

KINGSTON, Jamaica; December 09, 2020: Tourism Minister, Edmund Bartlett has been selected to chair a high-level Organization of American States (OAS) Working Group, which has been charged with the development of an action plan, for the recovery of the cruise and airline industries in light of the fall-out caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. 

“Jamaica is very honoured to join these important discussions on the recovery of our tourism industry. As the newly appointed chairman of the Working Group focusing on cruise and airline recovery, we will seek to leverage the collective expertise of our members to find innovative solutions as we chart the way forward in this new normal,” said Minister Bartlett.

The working group is one of four announced during the 2nd special session of the Organization of American States (OAS) Inter-American Committee on Tourism (CITUR) held on 14 August, 2020, to facilitate the effective and timely recovery of the travel and tourism sectors.

Minister Bartlett was recently selected as Chairman of the Working Group and will convene the first meeting on 10 December, 2020 with representatives from the relevant member states, which include Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guyana, Honduras, Peru and St. Vincent and the Grenadines.

In preparation for this crucial meeting Minister Bartlett recently convened a national preparatory meeting with key stakeholders such as Professor Gordon Shirley, President & Chief Executive Officer of the Port Authority of Jamaica; Mr. Audley Deidrick, President & Chief Executive Officer of Airports Authority of Jamaica/Norman Manley International Airports Ltd.; and Mr. Shane Munroe, Chief Executive Officer at MBJ Airports Ltd., for their input.

Minister Bartlett explained that: “The output of the Working Group will be delivered for the consideration of the XXV Inter-American Congress of Ministers and High-Level Authorities of Tourism in October 2021.”

The Organization of American States is the premier regional forum for political discussion, policy analysis and decision-making in Western Hemisphere affairs. It dates back to the First International Conference of American States, held in Washington, D.C., from October 1889 to April 1890.