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PS in the Ministry of Tourism, Jennifer Griffith (2nd right) engages in a lively discussion with Bishop Everton Lawrence of Faith Temple Assemblies of God (left), Junior Minister of Tourism and Montego Bay High School student, ThaeJadore Kerr (2nd left) and member of the Board of Directors for Jamaica Vacations (JAMVAC), Tricia-Ann Bicarie, following yesterday’s (September 27) Thanksgiving Church Service to mark World Tourism Day and kickstart Tourism Awareness Week 2026, which runs from Sept 27 – Oct 3.

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AI and Other Digital Technology Being Used to Transform Tourism Sector - Bartlett

Thanksgiving Church Service Kickstarts Tourism Awareness Week 2026 MONTEGO BAY, Jamaica; Monday, September 28, 2026: Minister of Tourism, Hon. Edmund Bartlett, has stressed that artificial intelligence and other digital technology are being used to strategically transform Jamaica’s tourism sector. This as the Ministry of Tourism, its public bodies and industry stakeholders, joined global partners in marking the annual UN-Tourism backed World Tourism Day (WTD), with a thanksgiving church service yesterday (September 27). The service also officially kick-started Tourism Awareness Week (TAW) 2026, being observed from September 27 to October 3, under the theme “Digital Agenda and Artificial Intelligence to Redesign Tourism,” in keeping with the theme selected by UN Tourism for WTD. In a message read by Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Tourism, Jennifer Griffith, Minister Bartlett said the ministry was “actively leveraging AI and digital technology to modernise the sector through key initiatives such as real-time concierges, deploying multilingual digital concierges, and structured content to optimise visitor bookings, as well as predictive analytics.”

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Minister of Tourism, Hon. Edmund Bartlett (left) greets students of Irwin High School in St James on his arrival at the Montego Bay Convention Centre recently to give the keynote address at the latest staging of the Jamaica Youth Tourism Summit, hosted by Tourism Management students at the University of the West Indies (UWI) Western Jamaica Campus. The Irwin High students later delivered a medley of popular Jamaican cultural songs that was well received by the audience.

Minister Bartlett Challenges Youth to be Part of Tourism

MONTEGO BAY, Jamaica; Wednesday, April 24, 2024: Minister of Tourism, Hon. Edmund Bartlett, has urged young people “to become a part of the tourism machinery that is driving global development and economic growth.”

Minister of Tourism, Hon Edmund Bartlett, (C) pauses for a photo opportunity with Victoria Harper, District Sales Manager-Northeast USA (L of Minister Bartlett), Carey Dennis, Business Development Officer - Northeast USA (R of Minister Bartlett), Fiona Fennell, Public Relations and Communications Manager, Jamaica Tourist Board, (back 3rd L) and the top Travel Advisors in the Northeast USA.

Travel Advisors Critical to Jamaica’s Tourism Growth

NEW YORK, US – April 16, 2024 – Minister of Tourism, Hon Edmund Bartlett has emphasized the critical role that travel advisors play in advancing the growth of Jamaica’s tourism. Speaking at a special luncheon to honour top travel advisors in Northeast America on April 13, the Minister reflected on the effort and dedication of these advisors during the pandemic.

Minister of Tourism, Hon. Edmund Bartlett delivers Jamaica’s country statement during the Plenary session at the United Nations General Assembly’s (UNGA) High-Level Thematic Event on Tourism, being held as part of the UNGA’s first-ever Sustainability Week, from April 15-19, 2024.

Minister Bartlett Calls for a Concerted Global Effort to Boost Sustainable Tourism

New York, USA; Tuesday, April 16, 2024: Minister of Tourism, Hon. Edmund Bartlett, has called for a united international effort to bolster sustainable tourism practices as he addressed the United Nations General Assembly's (UNGA) first-ever Sustainability Week in New York, this morning.

“Our Tourism Strategy Must Strengthen Linkages and Prevent Leakages” – Bartlett

Kingston, Jamaica; Friday, April 5, 2024: Minister of Tourism, Hon. Edmund Bartlett has expressed that, in developing Jamaica’s new Tourism Strategy and Action Plan (TSAP), greater focus will have to be placed on strengthening linkages with other sectors and preventing economic leakages. He was speaking yesterday at the Spanish Court Hotel as the Ministry of Tourism, in collaboration with the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), successfully concluded its islandwide series of tourism strategy consultation workshops, with the final session being held with stakeholders from the Kingston and St. Andrew destination area.

Prepare to Meet the Needs of 5 Million Tourists in 2025

Kingston, Jamaica; Monday, March 25, 2024: With Jamaica on track to attract 5 million visitors by 2025, local manufacturers are being urged by Minister of Tourism, Hon Edmund Bartlett to put themselves in a position to meet the increasing needs of the sector for products and services.

Bartlett to Promote Tourism Resilience at Sustainable Blue Economy Summit in Canada

Kingston, Jamaica; Monday, March 18, 2024: Minister of Tourism, Hon. Edmund Bartlett, is set to depart the island today (March 18) to participate in Eco-Canada's Sustainable Blue Economy Summit 2024 in Halifax, Canada, on Tuesday, March 19, 2024. Minister Bartlett will be a featured speaker and thought leader at the summit, highlighting the critical importance of the blue economy to building tourism resilience and sustainability.

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