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 to Participate in WTTC Global Summit in Saudi Arabia

KINGSTON, Jamaica; November 28, 2022: Minister of Tourism, Hon. Edmund Bartlett is heading a team of Caribbean tourism officials to Saudi Arabia to cement a major multi-destination tourism arrangement with leading airlines in the Middle East.
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Bartlett Calls for Greater Investment in Local Health & Wellness Tourism Industry

MONTEGO BAY, JAMAICA; November 25, 2022: Tourism Minister Hon. Edmund Bartlett says that Jamaica's natural resources and geographic location make the island well-positioned to be a leader in the health and wellness tourism industry. He, therefore, called for greater investment to be made in the industry to ensure sustainable growth.
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Local Farmers Earn $125 Million from Tourism Agri-Linkages Exchange Project in 2022

KINGSTON, Jamaica; November 24, 2022: Tourism Minister, Hon. Edmund Bartlett has announced that between January and October of this year, farmers sold just under J$125 million of produce through the tourism Agri-Linkages Exchange (ALEX) online platform.
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Bartlett – Canada, Jamaica Agree to New Era of Cooperation to Strengthen Tourism

KINGSTON, Jamaica, Friday, November 18, 2022: The long-established relationship between Jamaica and Canada, its second largest tourism market, has been strengthened with an agreement reached yesterday to enter a new era of cooperation and collaboration in tourism, resilience and sustainability.
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Bartlett – Jamaica Secures 283,000 Seats Out of Canada – Well Ahead of 2019 Numbers

KINGSTON, Jamaica, Tuesday, November 15, 2022: Minister of Tourism, Hon. Edmund Bartlett has reported success in increasing airline seats out of Canada, Jamaica’s second largest visitor market. “So far, we have been successful in commitments that will see the number of airline seats at a record 283,000 out of Canada to Jamaica this winter; 26,000 more seats than was recorded in 2019, pre-COVID-19,” he announced this afternoon. These are from major travel partners such as Air Canada Vacations, WestJet, Transat and Sunwing.
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Bartlett To Meet With Travel Partners And Investors In Canada

KINGSTON, Jamaica, Monday, November 14, 2022: Minister of Tourism, Hon. Edmund Bartlett and a team of senior tourism officials will meet with travel partners and investors in Canada, Jamaica’s second largest visitor market, in an effort to increase arrivals to the destination and foster further investment in the tourism industry.
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