Government of Jamaica

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News Releases

Minister of Tourism, Hon. Edmund Bartlett (second right) leads a unifying group handshake with (from left) Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Tourism, Jennifer Griffith, outgoing Chairman of the Tourism Enhancement Fund (TEF), Hon. Godfrey Dyer and incoming TEF Chairman, Ryan Parkes at the Ministry’s One-day Strategic Visioning Retreat held last Wednesday at the AC Marriott Hotel.

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Minister Bartlett Salutes Godfrey Dyer’s 14 Years of Exemplary Service KINGSTON, Jamaica; Thursday, April 30, 2026: Minister of Tourism, Hon. Edmund Bartlett, has named Ryan Parkes, Group Chief Executive Officer of Island Car Rentals and Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Tourism Workers Pension Scheme (TWPS), as the new Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Tourism Enhancement Fund (TEF), effective May 1, 2026. The appointment, recently approved by Cabinet, was announced at the Ministry’s One-day Strategic Visioning Retreat held on April 22 at the AC Marriott Hotel. In making the announcement, Minister Bartlett also paid tribute to the outgoing TEF Chairman, Hon. Godfrey Dyer, whose 14-year tenure at the helm of the TEF represents the longest record of chairmanship in the fund’s history and one of the longest across government.

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Tourism Minister Moves to Recover Japan Market

KINGSTON, Jamaica; October 1, 2019: Tourism Minister Hon. Edmund Bartlett says his Ministry will be placing special focus on increasing arrivals from Japan by implementing new marketing arrangements.

Bartlett applauds Winners of Jamaica Tourist Board’s Annual Awards at Jamaica Travel Market

LONDON, United Kingdom; September 27, 2019: Tourism Minister, Hon. Edmund Bartlett has applauded the eight tour operators who won big at the Jamaica Tourist Board’s annual awards at the Jamaica Travel Market gala dinner yesterday.

Jamaica Recovers All Lost Seats from Thomas Cook Collapse

KINGSTON, Jamaica; September 26, 2019: Tourism Minister, Hon. Edmund Bartlett says that Jamaica has recovered all the lost seats following Sunday’s collapse of Thomas Cook, which flies a significant number of visitors to the island from Manchester, England.

Tourism Minister to participate in Fourth Jamaica Travel Market in London

KINGSTON, Jamaica; September 25, 2019: Tourism Minister, Hon. Edmund Bartlett departed the island yesterday to participate in the Jamaica Travel Market (JTM) at the Sopwell House, London.

Tourism Resilience Centre to provide US$100,000 Towards Disaster Recovery Efforts in the Caribbean

KINGSTON, Jamaica; September 24, 2019: Tourism Minister, Hon Edmund Bartlett says his Ministry through the Global Tourism Resilience and Crisis Management Centre (GTRCMC), has allocated US$100,000 to support tourism-ravaged economies impacted by disruptions such as natural disasters and pandemics.

Bartlett Names Board of Trustees for Tourism Workers’ Pension Scheme

KINGSTON, Jamaica; September 23, 2019: Minister of Tourism, Hon. Edmund Bartlett has named a 9-member Board of Trustees, for the recently passed landmark Tourism Workers’ Pension Scheme. The appointment is for a period of one year with immediate effect.