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Minister of Tourism, Hon. Edmund Bartlett, announces that a "Local First" policy is coming that will require investors to partner with communities. He was speaking on Wednesday, August 13, 2025, at an event celebrating the completion of the first phase of Vista Montego Bay Resort and the groundbreaking for phase two. The $100 million luxury mixed resort-style residential development is situated on Jimmy Cliff Boulevard.

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"Local First" Policy to Guide Jamaica's Tourism Investments – Bartlett

MONTEGO BAY, Jamaica, Thursday, August 14, 2025: As Jamaica’s pivot toward the luxury tourism market gains momentum, Minister of Tourism, Hon. Edmund Bartlett is reinforcing his strong commitment to a policy that ensures local communities directly benefit from these new developments. He expressed delight that the government has been attracting premium investments, with groundbreaking ceremonies for over US$3.5 billion in tourism developments in the last three months alone. While not disclosing specifics, he mentioned he had just finalized discussions on two more "mega billion-dollar investments."

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Tourism Trends Toward a Digital Marketplace in Post-Pandemic Era

KINGSTON, Jamaica; July 29, 2021: Tourism Minister Hon. Edmund Bartlett says that since the pandemic began, travel and tourism enterprises across the world have been leveraging Information and Communications Technologies (ICTs) to enhance a plethora of services. He notes that the trend towards a digital marketplace in the tourism sector is poised to intensify post-COVID-19.

Talks Underway for the Establishment of GTRCMC Satellite Centre in Nigeria

KINGSTON, Jamaica; July 28, 2021: Minister of Tourism and Co-Chair of the Global Tourism Resilience and Crisis Management Centre (GTRCMC), Edmund Bartlett, has announced that discussions are now underway for the establishment of a satellite centre of the GTRCMC in Nigeria.

Minister Bartlett Hails Management of COVID-19 in Tourism Sector

KINGSTON, Jamaica; July 26, 2021: With the tourism sector maintaining a near 100 percent compliance rate along the Resilient Corridors since the reopening of the nation’s borders to international travel in June 2020, Minister of Tourism, Hon Edmund Bartlett is underscoring the effectiveness of the sector in managing the COVID-19 pandemic.

50,000 Tourism Workers Back on the Job in Last Six Months

Kingston, Jamaica: July 23, 2021: Jamaica’s tourism industry has brought back more than 50,000 workers in the last six months, showing its capacity for resilience and its ability to bounce back from crises.

150 Local Producers to Participate in 7th Staging of ‘Christmas in July’

Kingston, Jamaica: July 19, 2021: One hundred and fifty manufacturers of locally produced corporate gifts and souvenir items will showcase their wide selection of products at the 7 th staging of the ‘Christmas in July’ trade show on Thursday, July 22, 2021, at the Jamaica Pegasus Hotel, New Kingston.

Global Resilience Centres in Jamaica and Kenya Sign MOU

KINGSTON, Jamaica; July 16, 2021: Minister of Tourism and Co-Chair of the Global Tourism Resilience and Crisis Management Centre (GTRCMC), Hon. Edmund Bartlett, and Kenya’s Cabinet Secretary, Ministry of Tourism and Wildlife, and Chairman of the GTRCMC – Eastern Africa, Hon. Najib Balala today (July 16) signed a ground-breaking memorandum of understanding (MOU) that will pave the way for the two Centres to work together to develop policy and conduct relevant research on destination preparedness, management and recovery.

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