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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Workers Joyful as Royalton Negril Reopens Amid Wider Tourism Recovery

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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Bartlett says Caribbean is the Bridgehead between Continental Africa and African Diaspora in the Americas

Kingston, Jamaica; Wednesday, August 16, 2023: With global forecasts positioning travel and tourism as a leading driver of Africa’s economic growth over the next decade, Jamaica’s Minster of Tourism Hon. Edmund Bartlett has highlighted the strategic importance of the Caribbean in engaging members of the African Diaspora domiciled in the Americas to forge stronger partnerships between both regions and benefit from this promising trajectory.
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Literary and Creative Arts Vital to Jamaica’s Tourism Product

Kingston, Jamaica; Monday, August 14, 2023: Minister of Tourism, Hon. Edmund Bartlett has emphasised the important role the literary and creative arts play in driving success within Jamaica’s tourism sector. Minister Bartlett also highlighted Kingston’s emerging status as a cultural powerhouse regionally and indicated the Ministry’s commitment to continue supporting the growth of the local creative industry.
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Summer 2024 for LATAM Airlines Nonstop Flights to Jamaica

SANTIAGO, Chile; Wednesday, August 2, 2023: Minister of Tourism, Hon Edmund Bartlett has announced that summer 2024 has been earmarked for the resumption of nonstop flights with LATAM Airlines to Jamaica. The move follows discussions today with top executives from LATAM airlines in Chile.
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Messi's Argentina Remains Jamaica's Number One Market in Latin America

Buenos Aires; ARGENTINA; Tuesday, August 2,2023: Minister of Tourism, Hon Edmund Bartlett, in relaying some of the strategic objectives for the Latin American (Latam) market, has singled out Argentina as a critical part of those objectives. Home to popular international football player Lionel Messi, with a population of 45 million, Argentina represents the largest market for Jamaica in the region.
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Bartlett Targeting 250,000 Visitors from Latam over the Next 5 Years

Kingston, Jamaica; Wednesday, August 2, 2023: Buoyed by the full recovery of Jamaica's tourism sector, Hon Edmund Bartlett, Minister of Tourism is targeting 250,000 visitors from Latin America (Latam) over the next 5 years. The move forms part of the Minister's aggressive push to reengage this large source market.
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Tourism Workers Pension Scheme Pulls in $876 Million Since 2022

MONTEGO BAY, Jamaica; Friday, July 28, 2023: Minister of Tourism, Hon Edmund Bartlett has urged delinquent employers in the tourism industry “to step up to the plate and honour their commitment to workers to match the 5 percent contribution” made by members of the Tourism Workers Pension Scheme (TWPS).
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