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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JAMAICA IS CARIBBEAN CRUISE DESTINATION OF THE YEAR

MONTEGO BAY, St. James; February 2, 2019: Jamaica is once again in the spotlight as top Caribbean Cruise Destination of the year for 2018. Jamaica received the award from Caribbean Journal, the world’s largest website covering Caribbean travel and trade news.

Tourist Arrivals Increase by 9% in January

MONTEGO BAY, Jamaica; February 1, 2019: Tourism Minister, Hon. Edmund Bartlett says recent figures from the Jamaica Tourist Board (JTB) reveal that Jamaica welcomed 202,192 visitors in January, which represents a 9% increase over the same period in 2018.

OAS Launches US$500,000 Project to Build Resilience of Caribbean SMTEs

MONTEGO BAY, Jamaica; January 31, 2019: The Organization of American States (OAS) has launched a US$500,000 project to assist the region’s small and medium tourism enterprises (SMTEs) to build resilience to natural disasters.

Prime Minister Calls for Greater Collaboration for Sustainable Resilience in Tourism Sector

MONTEGO BAY, Jamaica; January 31, 2019: Prime Minister of Jamaica, the Most Hon. Andrew Holness says that greater effort has to be placed in strengthening linkages with key industries to create a more resilient and sustainable tourism industry.

Tourism is Providing Opportunities for SMTES – says Bartlett

MONTEGO BAY, Jamaica; January 30, 2019: Tourism Minister, Hon. Edmund Bartlett says tourism is driving positive change by creating jobs and injecting revenue into local communities while helping to spark innovation and provide opportunities for Small and Medium Tourism Enterprises (SMTEs).

Tourism Minister Calls for Ongoing Investments in Tourism

MONTEGO BAY, Jamaica; January 30, 2019: Tourism Minister, Hon. Edmund Bartlett, says tourism has to be sustained and this requires ongoing investment to improve existing products and develop new ones.