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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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Workers Joyful as Royalton Negril Reopens Amid Wider Tourism Recovery

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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Global Tourism Conference to Attract 800 High-Level Tourism Decision Makers

CHENGDU, China; September 15, 2017: Minister of Tourism, Hon. Edmund Bartlett says the UNWTO, Government of Jamaica and World Bank Group Global Conference will be the most significant global conference in tourism ever to be held in the Americas.

14,000 Flights Cancelled Due to Hurricane Irma

KINGSTON, Jamaica; September 14, 2017: The shutdown of Florida airports because of Hurricane Irma resulted in the cancellation of some 14,000 flights between the Caribbean and the southern US state, according to a tracking service FlightAware.

Jamaica to Lead UNWTO Disaster Recovery Programme for the Caribbean

CHENGDU, China; September 19, 2017: Minister of Tourism, Hon Edmund Bartlett has been appointed as the coordinator of the United Nations World Tourism Organization’s (UNWTO) newly formed Disaster Recovery Working Group for the Affected States in the Caribbean.

TEF Supports International Coastal Cleanup 2017

KINGSTON, Jamaica, September 19, 2017: In keeping with efforts to bolster protection of the island’s environmental resources, the Tourism Enhancement Fund (TEF) committed some J$8 million to Saturday’s (September 16) staging of International Coastal Cleanup Day (ICCD), while rallying a team of over 400 volunteers to participate in cleanup efforts across the island.

Community Tourism Looks Toward Success

Kingston, Jamaica; September 12, 2017: As part of efforts to build out the tourism sector, the Tourism Product Development Company Limited (TPDCo) recently hosted nine (9) Community Tourism Entities (CTEs) at a Jamaica Community Tourism Development workshop at the Knutsford Court Hotel in Kingston. Under the theme “Toward Success,” the three-day workshop aimed to guide aspiring community based entrepreneurs and to assist existing community tourism executives in the further development of their businesses.

Bartlett Appeals For UNWTO Aid For Hurricane Ravaged Caribbean

KINGSTON, Jamaica, Monday, September 11, 2017: KINGSTON, Jamaica, Sunday, September 10, 2017: Minister of Tourism, Hon Edmund Bartlett has leveraged his position as Chairman of the United Nations World Tourism Organisation’s (UNWTO) Board of Affiliate Members to appeal for aid for Caribbean islands recently devastated by Hurricane Irma.

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