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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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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Bartlett Explores Partnership with Chemonics to Mark 3rd Global Tourism Resilience Day

Kingston, Jamaica; Friday, June 7, 2024: On the margins of the Resilience and Innovation Summit now underway in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Minister of Tourism, Hon. Edmund Bartlett, met with senior representatives of leading global sustainable development firm, Chemonics International, in a bid to forge a major partnership for the upcoming Global Tourism Resilience Day in 2025.

Jamaica Sees Record 2 Million Visitors To-Date In 2024

Kingston, Jamaica, June 6, 2024 – Jamaica has welcomed a record two million visitors thus far in 2024, more than ever reported during the period of January to May. Further solidifying its position as one of the world’s leading island travel destinations, Jamaica’s final tourism data for 2023 also notes a record-breaking 4.1 million visitors and 25.5% year-over-year increase in total visitation compared to 2022.

Minister Bartlett For Global Summit and UN Tourism Executive Council Meeting

Kingston, Jamaica; Tuesday, June 4, 2024: Minister of Tourism, Hon. Edmund Bartlett, departed the island today (June 4) for Europe where he will engage in several high-level activities aimed at bolstering Jamaica’s position in the global tourism arena. Minister Bartlett will be participating in two significant events: The Resilience and Innovation Summit being hosted by the Global Travel and Tourism Resilience Council in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and the 121st UN Tourism Executive Council Meeting in Barcelona, Spain.

Jamaica Hosts Inaugural CHTA Responsible Tourism Day Activities

KINGSTON, Jamaica; Wednesday, May 29, 2024: Jamaica was chosen by the Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association (CHTA) as the location for the inauguration of a new initiative aimed at promoting sustainable tourism, as a new feature of its flagship Caribbean Travel Marketplace tradeshow. The 42nd staging of the trade event was hosted in Jamaica from May 20-23, 2024.

CHTA Caribbean Travel Marketplace A Resounding Success

MONTEGO BAY, Jamaica; Monday, May 27, 2024: Jamaica’s hosting of the Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association’s (CHTA) flagship sales event, Caribbean Travel Marketplace 42, from May 20- 23, has been hailed as “a resounding success” by Minister of Tourism, Hon. Edmund Bartlett.

Tourism Investment Drive Still on Track

MONTEGO BAY, Jamaica; Wednesday, May 22, 2024: Minister of Tourism, Hon Edmund Bartlett has outlined that Jamaica is currently experiencing an unprecedented surge in tourism infrastructural development and visitor arrivals, which has laid the foundation for the Ministry to achieve its goal of attracting 5 million visitors in 5 years, earning the country US$5 billion by 2025.