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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September Opening for Tourism Crisis Management Centre

KINGSTON, Jamaica; June 20, 2018: Tourism Minister, Hon Edmund Bartlett says the Global Centre for Tourism Resilience and Crisis Management is expected to be operational in September of this year, with an official launch scheduled for January 2019, during the Caribbean Travel Marketplace, which will be held at the Montego Bay Convention Centre.

Bartlett and Shaw to Get More Local Products in Hotels

KINGSTON, Jamaica; June 19, 2018: Minister of Tourism, Hon. Edmund Bartlett says his Ministry will be working closely with the new Minister of Industry, Commerce, Agriculture and Fisheries, Hon. Audley Shaw, to ensure that imports to the tourism sector see a drastic reduction in the near future.

Bartlett to Meet Key Tourism Stakeholders to Discuss Entertainment Concerns

KINGSTON, Jamaica; June 13, 2018: Minister, Hon. Edmund Bartlett will, starting today, meet with key tourism stakeholders as part of efforts to discuss concerns raised about entertainers hired within hotels.

IAC Endorses Global Tourism Resilience and Crisis Management Centre

MONTEGO BAY, Jamaica, June 7, 2018: With more than 70-members strong, the Insurance Association of the Caribbean (IAC) has endorsed the Global Centre for Tourism Resilience and Crisis Management, which will be housed at the University of the West Indies, Mona Campus.

Bartlett calls for New Architecture for Caribbean Tourism

NEW YORK, New York; June 07, 2018: Tourism Minister, Hon. Edmund Bartlett has called for a new architecture as it relates to Caribbean Tourism so as to add more value to the touristic experiences and increase growth.

RECORD 1 MILLION STOPOVER TOURIST ARRIVALS IN 5 MONTHS

KINGSTON, Jamaica; June 6, 2018: Jamaica tourism performance has hit yet another record with Tourism Minister, Edmund Bartlett today pointing out that stop over arrivals for the first five months of the year, January to May surpassed a million standing at roughly 1,025,997, representing a 5.5% increase over the same period last year.