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Minister Bartlett Visits Canada for Major ‘Jamaica 60’ and GTRCMC Activities

Release Date: 
Thursday, April 7, 2022 - 09:45

KINGSTON, Jamaica; March 24, 2022: Expanding the reach of the Global Tourism Resilience and Crisis Management Centre (GTRCMC) and involving the Diaspora in celebrations marking the 60th anniversary of Jamaica’s independence are high on the agenda as Minister of Tourism, Hon Edmund Bartlett travels to Canada for four days of official engagements along with his colleague Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, Hon Olivia “Babsy” Grange.

Minister Bartlett will join Minister Grange in Toronto today and be principal guest at the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between the GTRCMC and George Brown College.

Co-founded in 2018 by Minister Bartlett and Former Secretary General of the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), Dr. Taleb Rifai, the GTRCMC was established to address disruptions and crises in tourism, such as the dislocation caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Centre is based at the University of the West Indies, Mona, Jamaica and the MOU with Canada’s George Brown College paves the way for the launch of the second satellite centre in five weeks. On February 20, this year the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) regional satellite centre of the international GTRCMC was launched. This formed part of a multi-tier, international campaign to boost resilience in the global travel industry through the expansion of the Centre. Other satellite centres had previously been launched in countries such as Kenya and Jordan.

The launch of a satellite centre in Canada has been hailed by Minister Bartlett as a major development for tourism in the North American region. “Tourism in far too important to the global economy for it not to have the support and guidance that the Global Tourism Resilience and Crisis Management Centre offers. It was created and is committed to bolstering destination preparedness, management and recovery from disruptions and crises that impact tourism and threaten economies and livelihoods globally,” says Minister Bartlett.

Also participating in the launch of the GTRCMC satellite will be Jamaica’s Consul-General in Toronto, Canada, Lincoln Downer; President of George Brown College, Dr. Gervan Fearon; Executive Director of the GTRCMC, Professor Lloyd Waller and Regional Director of the Jamaica Tourist Board, Canada, Angella Bennett.

Minister Bartlett said he was also looking forward to partnering with Minister Grange in launching Jamaica 60 Celebrations in Canada. “The Jamaica 60 celebrations are being launched in a very coordinated and strategic way in Canada to, among other things, engage members of the Diaspora and to encourage them to travel to Jamaica along with their relatives, friends and colleagues to participate in the historic festivities, while stimulating growth in the tourism sector,” says Mr. Bartlett.