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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Bartlett orders Review of Montego Bay Welcome Sign….J$5Million pumped by Private Sector into Project

KINGSTON, Jamaica; November 21, 2018: As part of the Ministry of Tourism and its Agencies’ commitment to full transparency, Minister of Tourism, Hon Edmund Bartlett has ordered a full review of the costs associated with the budgeted amount for the ‘Welcome to Montego Bay’ sign and attraction. Minister Bartlett has instructed the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Tourism to conduct the review.

J$350Million for Small and Medium Tourism Enterprises

KINGSTON, Jamaica; November 20, 2018: Tourism Minister, Hon Edmund Bartlett says his Ministry is committed to driving the capacity of Small and Medium Tourism Enterprises (SMTEs) that provide goods and services within the tourism sector. This commitment was underscored at today’s handover of J$350Million to the EXIM Bank from the Tourism Enhancement Fund (TEF) to facilitate a loan facility for these local suppliers.

New Montego Bay Welcome Sign to be Ready By December

MONTEGO BAY, Jamaica; November 19, 2018: Minister of Tourism Hon Edmund Bartlett, Ministry officials and Montego Bay city leaders laid blocks on Saturday (November 17) to symbolize the commencement of a project to create a new welcome sign at the round a bout in the vicinity of the Sangster International airport. The aim is to have the new sign completed in December. The previous sign was destroyed through a motor vehicle accident.

St Thomas to be Positioned as a Premier Tourist Destination

KINGSTON, Jamaica; November 17, 2018: Tourism Minister, Hon Edmund Bartlett says plans are now underway by his Ministry to develop the parish of St Thomas as Jamaica’s newest tourism destination.

Lyssons Beach Receives $49 Million Upgrade

KINGSTON, Jamaica; November 16, 2018: Tourism Minister, Hon. Edmund Bartlett yesterday participated in a ribbon cutting ceremony to officially open the renovated Lyssons Beach in St Thomas.

Bartlett Launches New JTB Website

KINGSTON, Jamaica; November 15, 2018: Tourism Minister, Hon. Edmund Bartlett, yesterday (November 14) officially launched the Jamaica Tourist Board’s (JTB) new and fully integrated website which will transform its marketing strategies.