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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Bartlett Lauds Tourism Service Excellence Finalists

Kingston, Jamaica; Friday March 15, 2019… Tourism Minister Hon Edmund Bartlett has lauded the contribution of the finalists who will vie for the coveted award of national champions in the Tourism Service Excellence Awards (TSEA) on March 30.

1 Million Visitors and US$800M earned in 9 weeks

MONTEGO BAY, Jamaica, Tuesday, March 12, 2019: With visitor arrivals for the first nine weeks of this year exceeding one million and Jamaica being the first Caribbean destination to achieve this result, Minister of Tourism, Hon Edmund Bartlett says the tourism industry has reached the peak of its growth. Earnings for the nine weeks have been put at US $800 Million.

Resilience Centre Board of Governors Announces 2019 Projects

KINGSTON, Jamaica; March 08, 2019: Board Members and associates of the Global Tourism Resilience and Crisis Management Centre (GTRCMC) had their second meeting, in Berlin, Germany today to discuss their major projects, which will be completed this year.

Jamaica is PATWA’s Destination of the Year

KINGSTON, Jamaica; March 07, 2019: Jamaica was today presented with the Pacific Area Travel Writers Association’s (PATWA) International Travel Award for Destination of the Year, in Berlin, Germany.

Bartlett Named PATWA’s Tourism Minister of the Year for Sustainable Tourism

KINGSTON, Jamaica; March 07, 2019: Tourism Minister Hon. Edmund Bartlett was today awarded the Pacific Area Travel Writers Association’s (PATWA) Tourism Minister of the Year for Sustainable Tourism in Berlin Germany.

Bartlett to Address Delegates at ITB Berlin

KINGSTON, Jamaica; March 05, 2019: Tourism Minister Hon. Edmund Bartlett departs the island today to participate in the International Tourism Bourse (ITB), in Berlin, Germany, where he has been invited to be a guest speaker at the ‘International Seminar on Global Tourism’s Trends and Challenges.’