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PS in the Ministry of Tourism, Jennifer Griffith (2nd right) engages in a lively discussion with Bishop Everton Lawrence of Faith Temple Assemblies of God (left), Junior Minister of Tourism and Montego Bay High School student, ThaeJadore Kerr (2nd left) and member of the Board of Directors for Jamaica Vacations (JAMVAC), Tricia-Ann Bicarie, following yesterday’s (September 27) Thanksgiving Church Service to mark World Tourism Day and kickstart Tourism Awareness Week 2026, which runs from Sept 27 – Oct 3.

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AI and Other Digital Technology Being Used to Transform Tourism Sector - Bartlett

Thanksgiving Church Service Kickstarts Tourism Awareness Week 2026 MONTEGO BAY, Jamaica; Monday, September 28, 2026: Minister of Tourism, Hon. Edmund Bartlett, has stressed that artificial intelligence and other digital technology are being used to strategically transform Jamaica’s tourism sector. This as the Ministry of Tourism, its public bodies and industry stakeholders, joined global partners in marking the annual UN-Tourism backed World Tourism Day (WTD), with a thanksgiving church service yesterday (September 27). The service also officially kick-started Tourism Awareness Week (TAW) 2026, being observed from September 27 to October 3, under the theme “Digital Agenda and Artificial Intelligence to Redesign Tourism,” in keeping with the theme selected by UN Tourism for WTD. In a message read by Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Tourism, Jennifer Griffith, Minister Bartlett said the ministry was “actively leveraging AI and digital technology to modernise the sector through key initiatives such as real-time concierges, deploying multilingual digital concierges, and structured content to optimise visitor bookings, as well as predictive analytics.”

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Bartlett to Promote Jamaica at World Tourism Day Celebrations in Qatar

KINGSTON, Jamaica; September 26, 2017: Hon. Edmund Bartlett departed the island yesterday (September 25, 2017) to participate in the official celebration of World Tourism Day being hosted in Doha, Qatar, on September 27, 2017.

Grenada Meeting To Map Tourism Restoration Action Plan for Caribbean

MONTEGO BAY, Jamaica, September 26, 2017: Key members of the newly formed United Nations World Tourism Organization’s (UNWTO) Disaster Recovery Working Group for the Affected States in the Caribbean will convene in Grenada on October 9 to discuss how to assist tourism dependent member states recently ravaged by natural disasters.

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.

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