Government of Jamaica

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News Releases

Minister of Tourism, Found and Co-Chair off the Global Tourism Resilience and Crisis Management Centre, Hon Edmund Bartlett pauses for a photo opportunity with (L-R), Minister of Wildlife Conservation and Tourism, South Sudan, Hon Denay Chagor, Hon Rebecca Miano, EGH, Cabinet Secretary, Ministry of Tourism and Wildlife, Kenya, Hon Augusto Laurindo Kalikemala, Secretary of State, Minister of Tourism, Angola and Hon Kwete Lobo Valere, Charge d’etude, Minister of Tourism, Democratic Republic of Congo.

Featured News Releases

Minister Bartlett Marks 4th Global Tourism Resilience Day Conference in Nairobi with Renewed Call for Global Resilience Fund

NAIROBI; Kenya; February 19, 2026 – Jamaica’s Minister of Tourism, Hon Edmund Bartlett, on Monday, February 16, delivered a powerful call to action for the global tourism community to move ‘From Crisis to Transformation’ as he addressed the opening of the 4th Global Tourism Resilience Day Conference and Expo in Nairobi, Kenya. Hosted in partnership with the Government of Kenya and anchored by the Kenyatta University, the conference convened global tourism leaders, policymakers, academics, and private sector stakeholders to examine the urgent need for building resilience in an era of constant disruption. Speaking under the conference theme ‘From Crisis to Transformation’, Minister Bartlett outlined the overlapping global challenges reshaping tourism, including climate shocks, health-security threats, geopolitical instability, economic volatility, public safety concerns, cybercrime, and the growing threat of misinformation and disinformation.
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Jamaica exploring more Air Connectivity in Europe Post Brexit

KINGSTON, Jamaica; August 8, 2019: Minister of Tourism, Hon Edmund Bartlett, says Jamaica is actively exploring additional air connectivity options out of Europe, in light of the United Kingdom (UK) leaving the European Union – which is more popularly known as Brexit. The decision for the UK to leave the European Union (EU) was made in 2016 through a referendum.
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Bartlett Challenges Farmers to Meet Tourism’s Demand for Agricultural Produce

KINGSTON, Jamaica; August 5, 2019: Minister of Tourism, Hon. Edmund Bartlett, has challenged the local agricultural sector to make a greater effort to satisfy the demands of Jamaica’s tourism sector for fresh fruits, vegetables, meat and poultry.
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United Nations on board with Global Resilience Centre to help tackle Sargassum threat, says Bartlett

KINGSTON, Jamaica; August 2, 2019: Minister of Tourism, Hon Edmund Bartlett, says the United Nations (UN) is fully on board to improve coordinated action and share expertise and resources with the Global Resilience and Crisis Management Centre (GTRCM, as it relates to the threat of sargassum to the region.
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Bartlett meets with Embassy Officials regarding Security Audit Report

KINGSTON, Jamaica; July 30, 2019: Minister of Tourism, Hon Edmund Bartlett today met with key Embassy officials to discuss the recent security audit report. The Embassy officials, which included representatives from the United States, United Kingdom and Canada, were updated by Minister Bartlett on the sector’s strategic plans to create a new architecture for security and next steps.
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Bartlett appoints New Director of Visitor Safety and Experience to further Review Security Audit Report

KINGSTON, Jamaica; July 29, 2019: Minister of Tourism, Hon Edmund Bartlett has appointed a new director of Visitor Safety and Experience, Major Dave Walker, to further review the initial report from the recent island wide security audit of the tourism sector. Following this review, Major Walker will submit a final report with recommendations on the way forward by the start of the winter tourist season in December.
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Sargassum Clean-up Costs Caribbean US$120 Million – Bartlett

KINGSTON, Jamaica; July 26, 2019: The unprecedented levels of sargassum seaweed that washed up on Caribbean beaches in 2018 resulted in estimated clean-up costs of US$120 million, according to Minister of Tourism and Co-Chair of the Global Tourism Resilience and Crisis Management Centre (GTRCM), Hon. Edmund Bartlett.
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