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 Calls on IFIs to Drive Tourism Recovery and Growth

WASHINGON DC, Friday, April 14, 2023: In a critical analysis of tourism and its importance to global economies, Minister of Tourism, Hon. Edmund Bartlett has made a universal call on international financial institutions (IFIs) to invest in ideas to build industry capacity for full recovery and inclusive growth.
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Minister Bartlett In Washington DC for High-Level Meetings

KINGSTON, Jamaica, Tuesday, April 11, 2023: Minister of Tourism Hon. Edmund Bartlett is currently in Washington D.C. for a series of high-level meetings, over the next four days, with international organizations and tourism partners.
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Jamaica and South Africa to Collaborate on Tourism

KINGSTON, Jamaica; Tuesday, April 4, 2023: Jamaica’s Minister of Tourism, Hon. Edmund Bartlett and his South African counterpart, Hon. Patricia de Lille, met yesterday (April 3) to discuss building a cooperation framework to make tourism for both countries a key driver of economic development.
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Bartlett Eyes Stronger Jamaica-Africa Relations

KINGSTON, Jamaica; Tuesday, April 4, 2023: Minister of Tourism, Hon. Edmund Bartlett has reiterated his commitment to strengthening relations between the Caribbean and Africa. “The Caribbean has a golden opportunity to work together in this new mode of ‘co-petion’ that is driving the way forward for tourism collaboration. And the opportunity to become the bridgehead for Africa to the markets of the Americas looms greatly,” the tourism minister stated.
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Bartlett to Participate in African Tourism Investment Summit

KINGSTON, Jamaica; Monday, April 3, 2022: Minister of Tourism, Hon. Edmund Bartlett will today (April 3) join government ministers, finance executives and administrators from South Africa, Botswana, Spain and Sierra Leone on a Ministerial Roundtable titled: “Developing a Sustainable Tourism Industry in Africa by Integrating Cultural, Environment, Good Governance and Social Concerns”. The roundtable is one of the highlights of the African Tourism Investment Summit being held from April 3-5, 2023, in Cape Town, South Africa, under the theme: “Revitalizing Investment in Sustainable Tourism on the African Continent”.
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Bartlett Calls for Public Order in Public Spaces

MONTEGO BAY, Jamaica, Monday, April 3, 2023: Minister of Tourism, Hon. Edmund Bartlett has thrown down the gauntlet against disorderly behaviour, especially in resort areas. “I want to say very loudly that Destination Assurance is fully predicated on public order. And the Ministry of Tourism and the tourism sector stand squarely behind the Ministry of National Security to secure and ensure public order in the public spaces of Jamaica,” he declared.
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