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Minister of Tourism, Hon. Edmund Bartlett, announces that a "Local First" policy is coming that will require investors to partner with communities. He was speaking on Wednesday, August 13, 2025, at an event celebrating the completion of the first phase of Vista Montego Bay Resort and the groundbreaking for phase two. The $100 million luxury mixed resort-style residential development is situated on Jimmy Cliff Boulevard.

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"Local First" Policy to Guide Jamaica's Tourism Investments – Bartlett

MONTEGO BAY, Jamaica, Thursday, August 14, 2025: As Jamaica’s pivot toward the luxury tourism market gains momentum, Minister of Tourism, Hon. Edmund Bartlett is reinforcing his strong commitment to a policy that ensures local communities directly benefit from these new developments. He expressed delight that the government has been attracting premium investments, with groundbreaking ceremonies for over US$3.5 billion in tourism developments in the last three months alone. While not disclosing specifics, he mentioned he had just finalized discussions on two more "mega billion-dollar investments."

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Jamaica Earns US$3 Billion From Tourism Since January 2024

MONTEGO BAY, Jamaica; Tuesday, September 24, 2024: Tourism Awareness Week 2024 started on a positive note, highlighting the growth of Jamaica’s tourism industry in the face of both local and international threats, and its contribution to the wider economy.

Minister of Tourism, Hon. Edmund Bartlett (left) engages his colleague, Minister of Tourism for India, Hon. Gajendra Singh Shekhawat in a frank discussion on ways to tap into the lucrative Indian travel market, as Jamaica seeks to diversify its markets and boost arrivals.

Bartlett Calls on G20 Nations to Invest in Capacity Building for Resilience in SIDS

Kingston, Jamaica; Monday, September 23, 2024: Minister of Tourism, Hon. Edmund Bartlett, has made an urgent call for G20 nations to invest in capacity building for Small Island Developing States (SIDS) that are heavily reliant on tourism. Minister Bartlett made the call while speaking at the G20 and UN Tourism Side Event recently, under the theme ‘Tourism: Building a Just World and a Sustainable Planet,’ in the margins of the 4th G20 Tourism Working Group Meeting in Belém, Brazil, from September 19-20, 2024.

Tourism Awareness Week 2024 to Focus on Tourism and Peace

Kingston, Jamaica; Wednesday, September 18, 2024: The Ministry of Tourism, its public bodies, and industry partners will seek to emphasize tourism’s critical role in fostering cross-cultural collaboration and global unity, as they observe Tourism Awareness Week (TAW) 2024 from September 22-28, under the theme “Tourism and Peace: Out of Many, One Love.” This year’s theme is in keeping with UN Tourism’s (United Nations Tourism) global theme for World Tourism Day, which is marked annually on September 27, “Tourism and Peace.”

Jamaica Welcomes 2 Million Stopover Visitors Since January 2024

Kingston, Jamaica; Tuesday, September 17, 2024: Minister of Tourism, Hon. Edmund Bartlett has revealed that based on preliminary figures Jamaica has welcomed just over 2 million stopover visitors and some 3 million total visitors, including cruise arrivals, between January 1 and September 14 this year. This achievement marks an increase over last year's figures for the same period.

Minister of Tourism, Hon. Edmund Bartlett (center) engages in a light conversation with Brazilian Tourism Minister, Hon. Celso Sabino (left) and Governor of the State of Maranhão, Carlos Brandão in São Luís, Brazil, following the recent signing of a sustainable tourism Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the Global Tourism Resilience and Crisis Management Centre (GTRCMC) and Brazil's Ministry of Tourism.

Jamaica and Brazil Partner Promote Tourism Resilience

Kingston, Jamaica; Thursday, August 22, 2024: The Jamaica based Global Tourism Resilience and Crisis Management Centre (GTRCMC) and Brazil’s Ministry of Tourism have signed a groundbreaking Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to facilitate cooperation in boosting tourism resilience. The areas of cooperation covered under the MOU include: Climate resilience in tourism; Entrepreneurial tourism resilience; Tourism security resilience; and Tourism pandemic resilience.

Jamaica Reports Strong Arrivals Increase in First Quarter of 2024

Kingston, Jamaica, August 15, 2024 – Jamaica has announced an 11% increase in arrivals in the first quarter of 2024 compared to the first quarter of 2023. This demand for one of the world’s leading island travel destinations further exemplifies its projection to welcome 5 million visitors by 2025.

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