News Releases

OCHO RIOS, Jamaica; Wednesday, September 2, 2026: Veteran parliamentarian and globally celebrated thought leader, Minister of Tourism, Hon. Edmund Bartlett has underscored that the system of Parliament must become a trusted, fact-based institution in the digital age. “Let Parliament be the centre of facts and dismiss beliefs,” the former House Leader in Jamaica’s Parliament said as he challenged regional colleagues. He called for the system of Parliament to undergo a fundamental digital transformation while remaining a trusted source of accurate information and democratic accountability. Addressing the 48th Regional Conference of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) Caribbean, Americas and Atlantic (CAA) Region, at the Moon Palace Jamaica resort, St. Ann earlier this week, Minister Bartlett said technology had fundamentally changed the relationship between citizens and their elected representatives, making it imperative for legislatures to become more open, accessible and resilient.

KINGSTON, Jamaica; Thursday, August 27, 2026: Minister of Tourism, Hon. Edmund Bartlett, Founder and Co-Chair of the Global Tourism Resilience and Crisis Management Centre (GTRCMC), will serve as Co-Chair of the highly anticipated World Economic Forum Tourism Day 2026, which will be observed on September 26. The appointment recognizes Jamaica’s global leadership in tourism resilience, innovation, and sustainable development, and positions the GTRCMC, headquartered in Jamaica, as a key partner in shaping the future of international travel. In accepting the role, Minister Bartlett said: "I am deeply honoured to Co-Chair the World Economic Forum Tourism Day 2026. Tourism is vital infrastructure — for economies, for cultures, and for resilience.” He noted that: “As Co-Chair, I will advance three priorities: investing in people as Culture Champions to lead innovation; investing in data for real-time global risk intelligence; and investing in solidarity so that no destination faces a crisis alone.”

NEGRIL, Jamaica; Thursday, August 27, 2026: Pulsating music, dance and colourful dresses marked the reopening of the Royalton Negril hotel and the return of nearly 1,000 workers to their jobs. The hotel reopened at 50 percent occupancy, which is expected to rise to 80 percent over the US Thanksgiving period, and is already sold out for Jamaica’s Heroes Weekend and Christmas. Minister of Tourism, Hon. Edmund Bartlett, was excited as he moved among staff members and was greeted with gleeful smiles as he toured the property to see firsthand its multi-million-dollar recovery from the impact of hurricane Melissa. “When I walked in, I saw that 960 workers were back on the job, and that by Thanksgiving, I'm told, the other 320 will be back, and we will have a full complement of 1,200 workers employed. That means families are now going to be more secure. It's coming back at the right time with back to school,” Minister Bartlett said.

Bartlett pledges GTRCMC support to strengthen the country’s tourism recovery and resilience KINGSTON, Jamaica; Friday, August 14, 2026: Minister of Tourism, Hon. Edmund Bartlett, has expressed Jamaica’s solidarity with the Government and people of Colombia following the devastating earthquake that struck the country on August 10, 2026, pledging the support and technical expertise of the Global Tourism Resilience and Crisis Management Centre (GTRCMC) as Colombia begins its recovery and rebuilding efforts. In a letter to Colombia’s Minister of Commerce, Industry and Tourism, Hon. Mauricio Gómez Amín, Minister Bartlett conveyed the deepest sympathies of the Government and people of Jamaica, particularly the tourism community, to those affected by the disaster. “We are deeply saddened by the tragic loss of life, the injuries sustained and the widespread destruction caused by this disaster,” Minister Bartlett stated, extending Jamaica’s thoughts and prayers to families who have lost loved ones, those awaiting news of relatives and friends, and communities whose homes and livelihoods have been affected.

Tourism Minister urges businesses to embed community development in their operations as Sandals Foundation brings Island Challenge home KINGSTON, Jamaica; Friday, August 14, 2026: Minister of Tourism, Hon. Edmund Bartlett, is calling for a fundamental redefinition of corporate social responsibility (CSR) in Jamaica’s tourism industry, urging businesses to move beyond charitable giving and become more deeply embedded in the development and resilience of the communities in which they operate. Minister Bartlett made the call on Tuesday (August 11) while delivering the main address at the launch of the Sandals Foundation Island Challenge Jamaica 2026, under the theme “Tourism Doing Good,” at the AC Marriott Hotel in Kingston. The four-day endurance event, scheduled for October 2–5, will take approximately 30 UK athletes, along with local and international partners, on a route spanning Trelawny, St. Ann, St. Mary and St. Andrew. Participants will run, kayak, trek and hike across Jamaica’s landscapes while seeking to raise £100,000 to strengthen neonatal and paediatric healthcare services, including at the Falmouth Public General Hospital.

TORONTO, Canada; July 31, 2026 – Jamaica's Minister of Tourism, Hon. Edmund Bartlett has put plainly that the financing of resilience building is critical to protecting the livelihoods of tourism dependent countries and, ultimately, the future of tourism. In supporting resilience building in a real sense, destinations will be able to better prepare for, respond to, and recover from increasingly complex global crises, warning that the world has entered a new ‘Age of Resilience.’ Delivering the keynote address at the Canadian-Caribbean Tourism Resilience Symposium, Minister Bartlett said tourism must move beyond traditional recovery efforts and embrace a new model centred on anticipation, adaptation and inclusive financing. “The world has changed. Tourism must change with it,” Minister Bartlett declared. “We must move from reaction to anticipation, from vulnerability to transformation, from fragmented recovery to shared resilience,” he added.