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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 Bartlett to Participate in UNWTO General Assembly

KINGSTON, Jamaica; Friday, October 13, 2023: Minister of Tourism, Hon. Edmund Bartlett will depart the island tomorrow (October 14) to attend the highly anticipated twenty-fifth session of the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) General Assembly, which will be held in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, from October 16-20, 2023.

Minister Bartlett Renews Urgent Call for a Global Resilience Fund

Kingston, Jamaica; Wednesday, October 11, 2023: In a compelling plea, Minister of Tourism, Hon. Edmund Bartlett, has again urged the international community to urgently unite in establishing a Global Resilience Fund to aid in boosting tourism resilience. This innovative initiative, he suggests, would encourage tourists to take personal responsibility for bolstering the ability to respond, mitigate, adapt, and recover from the impacts of climate-related shocks.

Minister of Tourism, Hon Edmund Bartlett (centre) shares a light moment with Country Manager of Flow Jamaica, Stephen Price and Chief Executive Officer of Flow’s parent company, Liberty Latin America (LLA), Balan Nair who welcomed him on arrival at the Rose Hall Great House for LLA’s recent Board meeting wrap up dinner, at which the minister was guest speaker.

Bartlett Welcomes Flow’s Plan to Invest US$550 Million to Boost Connectivity

MONTEGO BAY, Jamaica; Monday, October 9, 2023: An announced plan by Flow to invest half a billion US dollars in Jamaica over the next three years, has been welcomed by Minister of Tourism, Hon Edmund Bartlett as a boost to connectivity and tourism development locally.

Minister of Tourism, Hon Edmund Bartlett (centre) gesticulates as he experiences the EON RX Platform virtual reality visual of setting up a kitchen, at the launch of a partnership arrangement between SCU and EON Reality for the virtual training of Sandals Resorts Caribbean employees, at Sandals Royal Plantation Resort in Ocho Rios. He is flanked by Executive Chairman, Sandals Resorts International, Adam Stewart (left) and Co-Founder and President of EON Reality, Mats Johannson.

Innovative AI Training Platform Gives Tourism Sector Competitive Edge

OCHO RIOS, Jamaica; Friday, October 6, 2023: Minister of Tourism, Hon Edmund Bartlett has hailed as transformational the move by local grown resort chain, Sandals Resorts International, to leverage Artificial Intelligence (AI) to train its employees, through the use of virtual and augmented reality.

S Hotel and Jamaica Inn Cop Condé Nast Traveller Top 10 Rankings

Kingston, Jamaica; Wednesday, October 4, 2023: Minister of Tourism, Hon. Edmund Bartlett, has extended heartfelt congratulations to two of Jamaica's renowned hotels, S Hotel Jamaica and Jamaica Inn, for their exceptional achievements in the prestigious Condé Nast Readers' Choice Awards for 2023.

Tourism Sector Records 10th Consecutive Quarter of Growth

Kingston, Jamaica; Tuesday, October 3, 2023: Minister of Tourism, Hon. Edmund Bartlett has revealed that the tourism sector has recorded another remarkable quarter of growth. Citing preliminary figures from the Jamaica Tourist Board (JTB) Mr. Bartlett said, “the economic performance figures for the third quarter of the year show that Jamaica continues to shine as a premier destination, with significantly increasing stopover arrivals and earnings.”

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