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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Jamaica Records Over 5% Increase in Visitor Arrivals and Earnings

LONDON, United Kingdom; November 07, 2016: Minister of Tourism, Hon. Edmund Bartlett, today (November 07, 2016) disclosed that Jamaica’s tourism sector has registered an increase of over 5 per cent in both visitor arrivals and gross foreign exchange earnings for the first nine months of 2016.
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TEF and EXIM Bank Sign MOU to Establish $1 Billion Loan Fund for SMTEs

MONTEGO BAY, Jamaica; Wednesday, September 22, 2016: The Tourism Enhancement Fund (TEF) has committed $1 billion to provide well needed loans to small and medium-sized tourism enterprises (SMTEs) to boost the sustainable growth of the industry. A Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for the EXIM Bank to administer the revolving loan scheme and make disbursements to successful applicants was signed on September 21, 2016 with the TEF at the Hilton Beach Resort & Spa.
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Minister Bartlett Supports International Coastal Cleanup Day 2016

KINGSTON, Jamaica; September 19, 2016: Minister of Tourism, Hon. Edmund Bartlett joined thousands of volunteers, who participated in this year’s staging of International Coastal Cleanup (ICC) Day, at 140 sites across the island on Saturday September 17, 2016.
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Minister Bartlett Receives World Travel Award for Outstanding Services to Tourism

OCHO RIOS, JAMAICA; SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 18, 2016: Jamaica last night captured the lion’s share of accolades in the 23rd Annual World Travel Awards (WTA) for the Caribbean and North America and stamped its mark as the leading destination in the region. Minister of Tourism, Hon. Edmund Bartlett complemented the several awards received by Jamaica by himself being bestowed the unique award of the “Caribbean’s Leading Personality for Outstanding Services to Tourism.”
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Jamaica on Track to Become Major Gastronomy Destination

OCHO RIOS, St Ann; Jamaica, September 19, 2016: Minister of Tourism Hon. Edmund Bartlett says Jamaica is now on track to become one of the world’s major gastronomy destinations. He said gastronomy is a $150 billion dollar business across the world, which Jamaica has already targeted as part of plans to improve the country's earnings from the tourism sector.
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‘Growth is the Mantra’ Says Minister Bartlett

KINGSTON, Jamaica; March 8, 2016: On the heels of yesterday’s official swearing in of members of the new cabinet, the newly appointed Minister of Tourism, Hon Edmund Bartlett, hit the ground running on his first day in office today (March 8). The Minister, who arrived at approximately 10:00 a.m., took the opportunity to personally greet each member of staff at the New Kingston offices of the Ministry and its agencies and outlined the expectations of each division and entity under the new administration.
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