Government of Jamaica

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Minister of Tourism, Hon. Edmund Bartlett (2nd right) is joined by Director of the Jamaica Centre for Tourism Innovation (JCTI), Carol Rose-Brown (right) in greeting a portion of the first cohort of executive sous chefs trained and graduated by any Caribbean country outside the chamber of Gordon House ahead of his 2026 Sectoral Debate Presentation on Tuesday, June 23, 2026.

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Tourism 3.0 to Drive Jamaica’s Next Economic Leap – Bartlett

Bartlett Declares New Era Built on Trust, Inclusion and Local Prosperity KINGSTON, Jamaica; Thursday, June 25, 2026: Minister of Tourism, Hon. Edmund Bartlett, has unveiled a new growth agenda dubbed: Tourism 3.0, describing it as Jamaica’s new development architecture designed to transform tourism from a successful industry into a more inclusive and resilient national economic engine rooted in trust, confidence and shared prosperity. Making his 2026 Sectoral Debate Presentation in Gordon House earlier this week, under the theme “Trust and Confidence,” Minister Bartlett positioned Tourism 3.0 as the framework that will guide the next phase of Jamaica’s tourism evolution, one where growth is measured not only by visitor arrivals but by stronger communities, higher local retention, greater resilience and broader economic participation. “Tourism 3.0 is not a slogan. It is a new development architecture for Jamaica,” Bartlett declared.
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Jamaica Seeks To Regain South American Visitor Market

Kingston, Jamaica; Saturday, July 1, 2023: Jamaica has set its sights on regaining its share of the South American visitor market.
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St. Thomas Being Positioned as the Next Frontier for Tourism Development in Jamaica

Kingston, Jamaica; Friday, June 30, 2023: The parish of St. Thomas is set to experience a rapid transformation of its tourism product with the surge of new developments on the way. Tourism Minister, Hon. Edmund Bartlett reinforced this while addressing residents in Hillside during the recently concluded islandwide Destination Assurance tour. Minister Bartlett stressed that once key pieces of infrastructure like the Southern Coastal Highway Improvement Project (SCHIP) and the new Morant Bay Urban Centre are in place, investments will begin to flow into the eastern parish.
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Jamaica Elected to Serve on UNWTO Executive Council

Quito, Ecuador; Wednesday, June 28, 2023: Jamaica has been elected to serve on the United Nations World Tourism Organization’s (UNWTO) Executive Council for 2023-2027 alongside Colombia. The decision was made during the 68th UNWTO Commission for the Americas Meeting (CAM) currently underway in Quito, Ecuador.
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Plans to Develop Ken Wright Cruise Ship Pier on the Heels of Impressive Winter Season

Kingston, Jamaica; Wednesday, June 28, 2023: Minister of Tourism, Hon. Edmund Bartlett has indicated that discussions are underway for further development of the Ken Wright Cruise Ship Pier in Port Antonio, Portland. The pier experienced its busiest winter season with the arrival of 12 cruise ships, carrying over 5000 visitors and on average 43 yachts arriving per month including several mega yachts, last winter.
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Bartlett Travels to Ecuador for UNWTO Commission for the Americas Meeting

Kingston, Jamaica; Monday, June 26, 2023: Tourism Minister, Hon. Edmund Bartlett departed the island over the weekend to join regional representatives at the 68th World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) Regional Commission for the Americas Meeting (CAM) & Seminar On Sustainable Investments being held in Ecuador’s capital city Quito from Tuesday, June 27 to Wednesday, June 28.
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JCTI and HEART/NSTA Trust to Collaborate on Job Readiness Programme for Tourism

Kingston, Jamaica; Friday, June 23, 2023: With the tourism sector grappling with staffing challenges in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Jamaica Centre of Tourism Innovation (JCTI) is proposing a strategy for attracting new recruits and preparing them for available jobs in the tourism industry.
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