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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TUI’s Return to Jamaica Will be a Game Changer

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.
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UK Lifts Travel Advisory Against All Non-Essential Travel to Jamaica

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.
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Vaccine Inequity Could Hinder Global Recovery

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.
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Bartlett Confirms Over 50 Flights Per Week Between Canada and Jamaica

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.
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Royal Caribbean Cruises to Return to Jamaica in November 2021

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.
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Carnival Commits to at Least 110 Calls to Jamaica up to April 2022

Miami, Florida, USA; September 29, 2021: Tourism Minister, Hon. Edmund Bartlett has revealed that Carnival Corporation, the world's largest cruise line, has committed to sending 110 or more cruises, by its various brands, to the island between October 2021 and April 2022. The agreement is contingent on Jamaican authorities and Carnival continuing to work closely on logistics and public health issues.
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