Government of Jamaica

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Minister of Tourism, Hon Edmund Bartlett (right) receives a welcome hug, one of the many he received on his tour of Royalton Negril on Tuesday, August 25, 2026. Management and staff were out in their numbers to greet the Minister at the restart of operations following a multi-million-dollar restoration in the wake of last year’s hurricane.

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NEGRIL, Jamaica; Thursday, August 27, 2026: Pulsating music, dance and colourful dresses marked the reopening of the Royalton Negril hotel and the return of nearly 1,000 workers to their jobs. The hotel reopened at 50 percent occupancy, which is expected to rise to 80 percent over the US Thanksgiving period, and is already sold out for Jamaica’s Heroes Weekend and Christmas. Minister of Tourism, Hon. Edmund Bartlett, was excited as he moved among staff members and was greeted with gleeful smiles as he toured the property to see firsthand its multi-million-dollar recovery from the impact of hurricane Melissa. “When I walked in, I saw that 960 workers were back on the job, and that by Thanksgiving, I'm told, the other 320 will be back, and we will have a full complement of 1,200 workers employed. That means families are now going to be more secure. It's coming back at the right time with back to school,” Minister Bartlett said.

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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.’

Blue Mountain Coffee for Jamaica’s Cruise Visitors

KINGSTON, Jamaica; March 4, 2019: All cruise passengers disembarking at Jamaica’s main ports will soon be treated to a cup of Jamaica’s world famous Blue Mountain Coffee. The Ministry of Tourism is currently in discussions with two local coffee companies to roll out this new gastronomy initiative across the island.

Bartlett calling on Banks to establish Portfolio for Tourism

KINGSTON, Jamaica; Monday March 4, 2019: Tourism Minister, Hon Edmund Bartlett is urging banks to invest more in the sector’s value chain by establishing portfolios geared towards Tourism. This Minister Bartlett highlighted, will provide more access to funding to build capacity among smaller players in the sector and stimulate more economic growth.

Bartlett in Talks with Potential Israeli Investors

KINGSTON, Jamaica; February 13, 2019: Tourism Minister, Hon Edmund Bartlett says major hotel brands in Israel have expressed interest in investing in Jamaica and are expected to visit the island soon.