Government of Jamaica

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News Releases

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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Ryan Parkes Named New TEF Chairman

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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Minister Bartlett Pushes For Partnership With Cuba

MONTEGO BAY, St. James, Jamaica, March 21, 2016: Minister of Tourism, Hon. Edmund Bartlett does not believe the changing tide in relations between the United States of America and Cuba threatens Jamaica’s tourism market. His comments come as US President Barack Obama makes his historic trip to Cuba.
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Hon. Edmund Bartlett Returns as Jamaica’s Minister of Tourism

Kingston, Jamaica: March 8, 2016 – Hon. Edmund Bartlett has once again been appointed Jamaica’s Minister of Tourism, following the swearing in of Jamaica’s new Government at Kings House yesterday (March 7). Minister Bartlett previously served as Tourism Minister from 2007-2011 and replaces Wykeham McNeill, who held the portfolio from 2011-2016, under the Portia Simpson Miller-led government.
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Bartlett Proposes Tourism Credit Bank

MONTEGO BAY, St. James, Jamaica, March 17, 2016: The Tourism Enhancement Fund (TEF) and the EXIM Bank are to set the stage for the establishment of a tourism bank. Minister of Tourism, Hon Edmund Bartlett has proposed the tourism bank as source of funding for service providers in the tourism industry to enable them to build capacity and reap more from the industry.
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Minister Bartlett Meets With US Ambassador to Jamaica

KINGSTON, Jamaica; March 09, 2016: In a bid to further strengthen relations between Jamaica and the United States in the area of tourism Minister of Tourism Hon. Edmund Bartlett met with US Ambassador to Jamaica, His Excellency Luis Moreno, and members of his team today (March 9).
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Minister Bartlett Lays out Five Pillars for Tourism Growth

MONTEGO BAY, St. James, Jamaica, April 10, 2016: Minister of Tourism, Hon. Edmund Bartlett has outlined to the new boards of directors of key agencies in the ministry, five pillars on which the Ministry and its agencies will seek to transform the island's vibrant tourism sector and achieve double digit growth.
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Public Private Partnerships to form significant part of tourism growth strategy – Bartlett

KINGSTON, Jamaica, March 17, 2016: Minister of Tourism, Honourable Edmund Bartlett, yesterday noted that Public Private Partnerships (PPP) will form a key part of Jamaica’s tourism growth strategy. Given our government’s policy to make the private sector the engine of growth it is critical for the Tourism Ministry and its support agencies to pursue PPP arrangements that ultimately redound to the Jamaica’s benefit. It is an ultimate win win situation,said Bartlett.
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