News Releases

KINGSTON, Jamaica, Sunday, October 17, 2021: Following his highly successful markets blitz in North America, Minister of Tourism, Hon. Edmund Bartlett left the island yesterday, accompanied by a high-level team to explore investment opportunities and trump up tourism travel to Jamaica from the United Kingdom (UK) and the Middle East.

KINGSTON, Jamaica; October 9, 2021: Minister of Tourism, Hon Edmund Bartlett believes the planned return of TUI, the world's largest tourism company, to Jamaica will be a game changer for the tourism sector moving forward.

KINGSTON, Jamaica; October 8, 2021: Tourism Minister, Hon. Edmund Bartlett has welcomed news that the UK Government has lifted its advisory against all non-essential travel to Jamaica.

KINGSTON; Jamaica; October 7, 2021: Tourism Minister Hon. Edmund Bartlett has underscored that increased global access to COVID-19 vaccines is the key to a broad-based tourism and global economic resurgence. This, as he lamented the negative impact of vaccine inequity, which he says could hamper global recovery.

Toronto, Canada; October 4, 2021: Senior Executives of Canada’s largest airlines have confirmed with Tourism Minister Edmund Bartlett and his senior officials a combined total of over 50 nonstop flights per week between Canada and Jamaica starting November 1, as Jamaica’s second largest market for tourists steadily rebounds after over a year and a half in the doldrums due to the COVID-19 pandemic and stringent Canadian government-imposed travel restrictions. The flights will be operated by Air Canada, WestJet, Sunwing, Swoop and Transat with nonstop services from the Canadian cities of Toronto, Montreal, Calgary, Winnipeg, Hamilton, Edmonton, St. John, Ottawa, Moncton and Halifax.

Miami, Florida, USA; September 30, 2021: Royal Caribbean International, the second largest cruise line in the world, through their senior leadership team informed Tourism Minister, Edmund Bartlett in Miami, Florida this week that they will resume limited operations to Jamaica in November of this year. The senior executives added that once a number of logistical matters – some of which are outside Jamaica’s remit - are effectively resolved they will be in a position to significantly boost cruises to Jamaica, bringing in tens of thousands of fully vaccinated cruise visitors. The Senior Executives also reiterated their very strong desire to employ thousands of Jamaicans across a wide range of job functions and are awaiting government’s regulatory amendments to make it a reality.