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PS in the Ministry of Tourism, Jennifer Griffith (2nd right) engages in a lively discussion with Bishop Everton Lawrence of Faith Temple Assemblies of God (left), Junior Minister of Tourism and Montego Bay High School student, ThaeJadore Kerr (2nd left) and member of the Board of Directors for Jamaica Vacations (JAMVAC), Tricia-Ann Bicarie, following yesterday’s (September 27) Thanksgiving Church Service to mark World Tourism Day and kickstart Tourism Awareness Week 2026, which runs from Sept 27 – Oct 3.

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AI and Other Digital Technology Being Used to Transform Tourism Sector - Bartlett

Thanksgiving Church Service Kickstarts Tourism Awareness Week 2026 MONTEGO BAY, Jamaica; Monday, September 28, 2026: Minister of Tourism, Hon. Edmund Bartlett, has stressed that artificial intelligence and other digital technology are being used to strategically transform Jamaica’s tourism sector. This as the Ministry of Tourism, its public bodies and industry stakeholders, joined global partners in marking the annual UN-Tourism backed World Tourism Day (WTD), with a thanksgiving church service yesterday (September 27). The service also officially kick-started Tourism Awareness Week (TAW) 2026, being observed from September 27 to October 3, under the theme “Digital Agenda and Artificial Intelligence to Redesign Tourism,” in keeping with the theme selected by UN Tourism for WTD. In a message read by Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Tourism, Jennifer Griffith, Minister Bartlett said the ministry was “actively leveraging AI and digital technology to modernise the sector through key initiatives such as real-time concierges, deploying multilingual digital concierges, and structured content to optimise visitor bookings, as well as predictive analytics.”

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Jamaica Rum Festival to be Marketed as a Tourism Product

KINGSTON, Jamaica; January 16, 2020: Tourism Minister, Hon. Edmund Bartlett has announced that the Jamaica Rum Festival (JRF) will be packaged and marketed as a tourism product and sold to potential visitors to the island.

Plans in High Gear for UNWTO Conference on Resilience and Innovation

KINGSTON, Jamaica; January 15, 2020: Tourism Minister Hon. Edmund Bartlett says plans are in high gear for Jamaica to host the first ever United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) Summit on Innovation and Resilience Management, in Montego Bay this May.

Tourism Minister Moves to Declare Port Royal as Prescribed Area under the JTB Act

KINGSTON, Jamaica; January 13, 2020: Tourism Minister, Hon. Edmund Bartlett says he will be putting measures in place to declare Port Royal as a prescribed area, under the Jamaica Tourist Board Act. This move should ensure a safe and hassle-free environment for tourists, as it would allow police additional remit to handle harassers.

Ocho Rios Number 1 Port in Jamaica, contributing 40% of total arrivals in 2019

OCHO RIOS, St. Ann; January 10, 2020: Tourism Minister Hon. Edmund Bartlett says Ocho Rios has emerged as the number one port in the country, having contributed forty percent of total visitor arrivals in 2019.

Cruise Passengers to Receive Jamaica Blue Mountain Coffee

KINGSTON, Jamaica; January 09, 2020: Tourism Minister Hon. Edmund Bartlett says passengers onboard the Norwegian Bliss, which is set to dock in Ocho Rios tomorrow, will all receive a cup of Jamaica Blue Mountain (JBM) Coffee on arrival.

Bartlett says his Ministry is committed to the Increase of Local Goods Consumed in the Hospitality Industry

KINGSTON, Jamaica; January 08, 2020: Tourism Minister, Hon. Edmund Bartlett says the Agricultural Sector must be transformed to better meet the consumption requirements of visitors to the island.

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