Government of Jamaica

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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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Regional Tourism Industry Set To Take Centerstage During UNWTO Global Conference in Montego Bay, Jamaica

NEW YORK, NY – June 6, 2017 – The regional tourism industry is set to take centerstage during the UNWTO, Government of Jamaica and World Bank Group Conference on Jobs & Inclusive Growth: Partnerships for Sustainable Tourism, at the Montego Bay Convention Centre, St. James, November 27-29, 2017. Speaking at a press conference on June 6 at the Consulate General of Jamaica during Caribbean Week in New York, Minister of Tourism, the Honourable Edmund Bartlett noted that given the region’s dependency on tourism, it was important that such a conference provide solutions on how the Caribbean can better leverage this industry.
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Minister Bartlett - Jamaica On The Verge Of Visitor Arrivals History

MONTEGO BAY, Jamaica, Monday, June 5, 2017: With earnings for the first four months of this year at an all-time high of over US$1 billion, or a 6.5 per cent increase over last year, Minister of Tourism, Hon. Edmund Bartlett announced yesterday (June 4) that Jamaica’s tourism industry is heading for a historic one million visitors before the end of this month.
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Minister Bartlett to Attend UNWTO Forum on Gastronomy Tourism

KINGSTON, Jamaica; May 7, 2017: Minister of Tourism, Hon Edmund Bartlett will be holding discussions with leading experts in gastronomy at the United Nations World Tourism Organization’s (UNWTO) World Forum on Gastronomy Tourism, taking place in Donostia, San Sebastian, Spain, from May 8-9, 2017. He says these discussions will be vital to the further development of the gastronomy product locally.
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Ethiopian Airlines to be official African Carrier for GOJ UNWTO Global Conference

KINGSTON, Jamaica; April 24, 2017: Minister of Tourism Hon. Edmund Bartlett has announced that one of Africa's largest airlines, Ethiopian Airlines, has been designated as the official carrier for African States attending the ‘ UNWTO , Government of Jamaica and World Bank Group Conference on Jobs & Inclusive Growth: Partnerships for Sustainable Tourism’, scheduled for November 27–29, 2017, at the Montego Bay Convention Centre.
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African Ministers Endorse UNWTO Global Conference in Jamaica

KINGSTON, Jamaica; April 24, 2017: Minister of Tourism, Hon. Edmund Bartlett, has announced that the ‘ UNWTO, Government of Jamaica and World Bank Group Conference on Jobs & Inclusive Growth: Partnerships for Sustainable Tourism’ being held in November in Montego Bay, Jamaica, has received full endorsements from over 21 African Ministers from the United Nations World Tourism Organization’s (UNWTO) Commission for Africa.
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Jamaica Prepares to Attract 4.2 Million Visitors in 2017

MONTEGO BAY, Jamaica; Thursday, March 30, 2017: The tourism sector and allied industries have been put on alert to prepare for 4.2 million visitors this year. The target represents a 5 percent increase on the 3.84 million tourists the country received in 2016.
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