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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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Minister Bartlett Lauds Jimmy Cliff on Receiving IRIEF FM Lifetime Achievement Award

MONTEGO BAY, Jamaica; February 14, 2017: Minister of Tourism, Hon. Edmund Bartlett has lauded legendary musician and actor, Jimmy Cliff (Mr. James Ezekiel Chambers, OM) for his sterling contribution to Jamaican film and music, describing him as “both a trailblazer and influencer; an enduring voice who has helped to make little Jamaica a cultural heavy weight on the world stage.”

Cuba, Jamaica Cruise Itinerary Interest Surges

KINGSTON, Jamaica; February 13, 2017: Years prior to the Cuban Revolution in 1959 that saw the communist Fidel Castro regime come to power, Cruise ships from Miami regularly stopped in Cuba and Jamaica as part of their northern Caribbean itinerary.

Minister Bartlett Signs Agreement with Excellence Group to Build Two Hotels in Jamaica

KINGSTON, Jamaica; January 19, 2017: Tourism Minister, Hon. Edmund Bartlett today (January 19, 2017) signed an agreement with representatives of the Excellence Group of Luxury Hotels and Resorts to build two hotels in Oyster Bay, Trelawny, which will add over 700 rooms to the island’s room-stock. The Excellence Group, which is renowned for its award-winning luxurious properties, plans to begin construction on their first property in Jamaica in February 2017.

Minister Bartlett Signs Agreement for Jamaica to host UNWTO Conference in November

KINGSTON, Jamaica; January 17, 2017: Jamaica’s Minister of Tourism, Hon. Edmund Bartlett yesterday (January 16, 2017) signed an agreement at the Palacio Neptuno in Spain, to host a major global conference to commemorate the 2017 United Nations World Tourism Organization’s (UNWTO) International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development.

Kingston City Run Puts Capital in the Spotlight

KINGSTON, Jamaica; January 12, 2017: Minister of Tourism, Hon. Edmund Bartlett has lauded Kingston City Run Marathon as a unique event which highlights Kingston as an ideal tourist destination to thousands each year.

Maroon Festival to be Promoted Under New Tourism Marketing Initiative

ACCOMPONG TOWN, Cockpit Country, Jamaica; January 8, 2017: Minister of Tourism, Hon. Edmund Bartlett has revealed that the 279-year-old Maroon community of Accompong is to have pride of place as the first cultural heritage location to be promoted worldwide as part of a new marketing initiative being driven by the Ministry’s Tourism Linkages Network.

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