Government of Jamaica

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Minister of Tourism, Hon. Edmund Bartlett (L) beams as he accepts the Tourism Minister of the Year – Worldwide award from Yatan Ahluwalia, Secretary General, Pacific Area Travel Writers Association (PATWA) at the recent 26th PATWA World Tourism Leaders’ Summit & PATWA International Travel Awards.

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Minister Bartlett Earns Top Global Tourism Honour at PATWA Awards

KINGSTON, Jamaica; Thursday, March 12, 2026: Minister of Tourism, Hon. Edmund Bartlett, has been named Tourism Minister of the Year – Worldwide by the Pacific Area Travel Writers Association (PATWA), in recognition of his outstanding leadership and contribution to global tourism development. The award was presented recently at the 26th PATWA World Tourism Leaders’ Summit & PATWA International Travel Awards, which celebrates excellence, innovation and leadership within the international travel and tourism industry. Minister Bartlett’s recognition reflects his longstanding advocacy for tourism resilience, sustainability and innovation, as well as his instrumental role in shaping policies that have strengthened Jamaica’s tourism sector and influenced global best practices. Minister Bartlett reaffirmed his commitment to advancing the industry and building stronger, future-ready tourism frameworks worldwide. “I have dedicated my career to strengthening tourism as a driver of economic growth, opportunity and global connectivity,” he said.
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Tourism Minister, Hon. Edmund Bartlett (c) greets the Chief Executive Officer of Lopesan Group, Francisco Lopez (3rd r) at the Jamaica Stand, World Travel Market in London, UK, yesterday. He is joined by Senior Advisor and Strategist, Delano Seiveright (2nd r); Director General of the Lopesan Hotel Division, Jose Alba (r); President of LS Invest AG (IFA Hotels), Santiago de Armas (3rd l); CEO of the Hospiten Group, Pedro Luis Cobiella Beauvais (l) and another Spanish private sector executive (2nd l).

Lopesan to Develop 1000-Room Mega Resort in Jamaica

LONDON, United Kingdom; Wednesday, November 8, 2023: A major international hotel group, Lopesan, with over 17,000 hotel rooms across Europe, Asia and the Caribbean, called on Minister of Tourism, Hon. Edmund Bartlett and his team yesterday (November 7) at the World Travel Market (WTM) in London, United Kingdom, to announce that they are urgently seeking to develop a 1,000-room luxury resort on the island.
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Minister of Tourism, Hon. Edmund Bartlett (standing) noted that the future of the travel and tourism industry relies on its workers and their ability to innovate and create new ideas. He was speaking at the World Travel Market's Ministers' Summit in London yesterday (November 6). WTM London is recognized as the most influential travel and tourism gathering globally.

Human Capital Development Critical to the Future of Tourism

LONDON, United Kingdom; Tuesday, November 7, 2023: Minister of Tourism, Hon. Edmund Bartlett is urging destinations to invest in their human capital development, which will be critical to the industry's future. Speaking at the World Travel Market's Ministers' Summit in London yesterday (November 6), Minister Bartlett highlighted that the future of the industry relies on its workers and their ability to innovate and create new ideas.
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Speaking at an exclusive media event held at the Jamaica stand at World Travel Market (WTM) yesterday in London, Minister of Tourism, Hon. Edmund Bartlett noted that Jamaica is targeting 250,000 visitors out of the United Kingdom (UK) and Ireland by 2025. WTM London is one of the world’s largest tourism trade shows and has attracted some 5,000 exhibitors from 182 countries and regions and more than 51,000 participants.

Jamaica Targets 250,000 UK & Ireland Visitors by 2025

LONDON, United Kingdom; Tuesday, November 7, 2023: Minister of Tourism, Hon. Edmund Bartlett has set a new target to welcome 250,000 visitors out of the United Kingdom (UK) and Ireland by 2025. This follows on the heels of Jamaica being the number one Caribbean destination among UK visitors last year.
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Minister Bartlett to Attend 2023 World Travel Market London

Kingston, Jamaica; Friday, November 3, 2023: Minister of Tourism, Hon. Edmund Bartlett, is set to depart the island on Saturday, November 4, 2023, for London, England, to participate in World Travel Market (WTM) London. The leading global travel tradeshow will take place at the ExCel London from November 6 to 8, 2023.
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Minister of Tourism, Hon. Edmund Bartlett (left) gesticulates as he leads high-level internal discussions with senior representatives of the Ministry of Tourism and its public bodies during the Ministry's annual Strategic Planning Retreat held at the Montego Bay Convention Centre, from October 25-26, 2023. Looking on are (L-R) the Ministry's Senior Director of Strategic Planning, Performance and Project Management, Mr. Astley Henry and Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Tourism, Ms. Jennifer Griffith.

ALEX Sales and EXIM Bank Disbursements Surpass Billion-dollar Mark

Kingston, Jamaica; Friday, October 27, 2023: Minister of Tourism, Hon. Edmund Bartlett, has announced that transactions on the Agri-Linkages Exchange (ALEX) platform have generated $1 billion in sales by small farmers. This as he also outlined that tourism loan disbursements through the National Export-Import (EXIM) Bank have also surpassed $1 billion for 2023. Commending the Tourism Enhancement Fund (TEF) on the strides being made, the tourism minister underscored the increased impact of the tourism value chain on Jamaican small businesses as a significant outcome.
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Minister of Tourism, Hon. Edmund Bartlett passionately delivers the keynote address on behalf of Prime Minister, the Most. Hon. Andrew Holness at the second annual Government of Jamaica Service Excellence Awards hosted by the Office of the Cabinet, yesterday (October 25) at the Spanish Court Hotel.

High-touch Service Critical to Government’s Prosperity Agenda

Kingston, Jamaica; Thursday, October 26, 2023: The Government of Jamaica (GoJ) has underscored its commitment to service excellence as a fundamental pillar of its prosperity agenda. The emphasis on high-touch service and unwavering dedication to quality service delivery was at the forefront as Minister of Tourism, Hon. Edmund Bartlett delivered the keynote address at yesterday’s (October 25) staging of the second annual GoJ Service Excellence Awards at the Spanish Court Hotel.
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