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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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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LATAM Airlines Group to Increase Flights Between Jamaica and Peru

Santiago, Chile; April 23, 2018: Minister of Tourism, the Hon. Edmund Bartlett says plans to advance arrangements for non-stop flights between Peru and Montego Bay, Jamaica, have advanced after a successful meeting with Senior Executives of LATAM Airlines Group at their headquarters in Chile.

COPA Moves to Eleven Flights Per Week to Jamaica - Bartlett

Santiago, Chile; April 22, 2018: Tourism Minister, Edmund Bartlett this week announced that one of Latin America’s largest airlines, COPA, will increase to daily its service between Panama City and Montego Bay starting July of this year bringing to eleven the overall number of flights weekly between both countries.

Chilean Couple Surprised With Free Honeymoon by Bartlett

Santiago, Chile; April 22, 2018: Diners at one of the largest restaurants in Santiago, Chile last night erupted in rapturous applause after a Chilean couple was presented by Jamaica’s Tourism Minister Edmund Bartlett with a free honeymoon in Jamaica after Andres Tejeda proposed to his girlfriend Ariel Stockl.

Jamaica to Lead Development of Caribbean Tourism Innovation Centre

Kingston, Jamaica; April 13, 2018: Following a successful presentation on Jamaica’s plans to establish a Centre of Tourism Innovation through the Tourism Enhancement Fund (TEF), Jamaica was asked to lead the development of a similar centre for the region.

TEF’s New Business Model to Focus on Tourism Innovation

KINGSTON, Jamaica; April 12, 2018: Tourism Minister, Hon. Edmund Bartlett says the Tourism Enhancement Fund (TEF) will be repositioned within the next month as the country’s primary producers of tourism innovation, better allowing his Ministry to meet demands of the industry.

US $2.4 Million Earned by Kingston Airbnb Users in 2017

KINGSTON, Jamaica; April 11, 2018: Tourism Minister Hon. Edmund Bartlett urged more Jamaicans to embrace innovative tourism enterprises, such as Airbnb, as they have the potential to have a major impact on the local economy. He noted that in 2017 some 910 Kingston hosts earned a collective US$2.4 million from the digital home sharing site.