Government of Jamaica

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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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Ryan Parkes Named New TEF Chairman

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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Minister of Tourism, Hon Edmund Bartlett (R)with Secretary of State for Tourism, Spain, Mrs. Rosario Sánchez Grau ahead of the high-level discussion on a Memorandum of Understanding between Jamaica and Spain at the Ministry of Industry and Tourism in Madrid yesterday (January 21, 2025).

Jamaica and Spain to Sign Strategic Tourism Partnership MOU

MADRID; Spain; Wednesday January 22, 2025: Minister of Tourism, Hon Edmund Bartlett has indicated that a groundbreaking Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Spain's Ministry of Tourism is in the works. This MOU would mark a significant step forward in international tourism cooperation between the two nations.
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Minister of Tourism, Hon Edmund Bartlett (centre) cuts a red ribbon signalling the grand opening of the Red Stripe Experience at Rick’s Café in Negril, on Saturday, January 18, 2025. He is flanked by (from left) Head of Commerce, Red Stripe, Sean Wallace; Managing Director of Red Stripe, Daaf van Tilburg; CEO of Rick’s Cafe, Steve Ellman and Member of Parliament, Westmoreland Western, Morland Wilson.

Bartlett Signals Ease to Negril Water Woes with US$221 Million Investment

NEGRIL, Westmoreland, Jamaica; Tuesday, January 21, 2025: The long-standing problem of water shortage that has plagued the Negril tourist resort and surrounding areas is to be addressed with a US$221 million government investment in creating a water supply system for the area.
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Bartlett Travels to Madrid for FITUR Travel Tradeshow

KINGSTON, Jamaica; Monday, January 20, 2025: Minister of Tourism, Hon. Edmund Bartlett, departed the island earlier today (January 20) for Madrid, Spain, to attend the 45th staging of the International Tourism Fair (FITUR), one of the world’s leading travel and tourism tradeshows. This prestigious event, which runs from January 22 to 26, 2025, provides a crucial platform for international tourism stakeholders to showcase their offerings, foster new business relationships, and explore future opportunities.
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Hon. Edmund Bartlett (centre), Minister of Tourism, addresses the media during a press briefing for the 2025 Global Tourism Resilience Conference, set to be held in Hanover from February 16-19, 2025. Joining him are Jennifer Griffith (left), Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Tourism, and Professor Lloyd Waller (right), Executive Director of the Global Tourism Resilience and Crisis Management Centre (GTRCMC).

JAMAICA TO HOST 3RD ANNUAL GLOBAL TOURISM RESILIENCE CONFERENCE AND EXPO

KINGSTON, JAMAICA (January 15, 2025) – Tourism thought leaders from around the world will gather in Jamaica February 17 – 19, 2025 for the highly anticipated Third Annual Global Tourism Resilience Conference and Expo in Hanover.
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Minister of Tourism, Hon. Edmund Bartlett (left); owner of S Hotel, Chris Issa (centre) and Mayor of Montego Bay, Richard Vernon, join in applauding the all-Jamaican management and staff for their dedication and passion, resulting in the hotel being named the second-best all-inclusive resort in the Caribbean for 2025 by USA Today. The occasion was a cocktail reception to mark the occasion on Wednesday, January 8, 2025, at the hotel.

Four Jamaican Hotels Among Caribbean’s 10 Best All-Inclusive Resorts

MONTEGO BAY, Jamaica, Friday, January 10, 2025: Minister of Tourism, Hon. Edmund Bartlett, has lauded four Jamaican hotels that have been named among the 10 best all-inclusive Caribbean resorts by USA Today.
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Tourism Sector on Track to Achieving Ambitious Growth Targets - Bartlett

Westmoreland, Jamaica; Friday, January 10, 2025: After welcoming some 4.27 million total visitors and securing earnings of approximately US$4.35 billion in 2024, Minister of Tourism, Hon Edmund Bartlett is confident that Jamaica is on track to achieving its growth targets of attracting 5 million visitors and generating earnings of US$5 billion for the nation’s economy by 2025.
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