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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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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2.7 Million Trees Planted Under National Tree Planting Initiative

Kingston, Jamaica; Monday, September 25, 2023: Minister without portfolio in the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation (MEGJC), with responsibility for Water, the Environment and Climate Change, Senator, the Hon. Matthew Samuda has revealed that some 2.7 million trees have been planted under the National Tree Planting Initiative, which was launched in 2019 by Prime Minister, the Most Hon. Andrew Holness with a goal of three million trees in three years.

TAW 2023 to Focus on Tourism and Green Investments

Kingston, Jamaica; Wednesday, September 20, 2023: The need to boost human capital development and build resilience in the tourism sector through more targeted investment, will be high on the agenda as the Ministry of Tourism, its public bodies and tourism partners, observe Tourism Awareness Week 2023 from September 24 – 30.

Bartlett Targeting Half a Million Visitors from Canada by 2025

In what he describes as an “ambitious but achievable” target, Minister of Tourism, Hon. Edmund Bartlett, has revealed that he is pushing for 500,000 visitors to Jamaica from Canada by 2025. Minister Bartlett made the disclosure today (September 19) ahead of his departure to the North American country, where he will be joined by senior tourism officials on a five-day ‘winter marketing blitz’ as Jamaica seeks to engage critical travel partners in the Greater Toronto Area.

Jamaica’s Tourism Outlook for the Fall Season Seems Bright

MONTEGO BAY, Jamaica; September 14, 2023: Minister of Tourism, Hon Edmund Bartlett has revealed that Jamaica’s tourism outlook for the fall season, September to mid-December, is looking very positive in terms of visitor arrivals, with “strong airlift from the United States.”

JAPEX 2023 Opens on High Note

MONTEGO BAY, Jamaica; Tuesday, September 12, 2023: With a target in sight of earning US$4.1 billion, Minister of Tourism, Hon Edmund Bartlett is quite pleased that Jamaica is having its best year ever in visitors arrivals.

Airlift From Canada to Jamaica to be Boosted in November

MONTEGO BAY, Jamaica; Tuesday, September 12, 2023: Minister of Tourism, Hon Edmund Bartlett has welcomed news that air seats out of Canada will increase significantly as of November 5, this year when Canada Jetlines introduces twice-weekly flights between Toronto and Montego Bay.