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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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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Jamaica Welcomes 1 Millionth Visitor Since Start of COVID-19 Pandemic

MONTEGO BAY, Jamaica; August 16, 2021: It was a tear-jerking surprise for one JetBlue passenger and her family as Jamaica’s tourism industry marked a significant milestone of welcoming one million stopover visitors in just 13 months, in the midst of a pandemic.

Cruise Resumes: Carnival Sunrise Calls at Ocho Rios on Monday

KINGSTON, Jamaica; August 13, 2021: Cruise operations will resume in Jamaica on Monday, August 16th, 2021. The Carnival Sunrise is scheduled to call at the Port of Ocho Rios and is the first cruise ship with international passengers to call at a Jamaican port since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. It will mark a major step in the phased reopening of Jamaica’s tourism sector, which has been adversely impacted by the global pandemic.

Minister Bartlett Urges Tourism Workers to get Vaccinated

KINGSTON, Jamaica; August 10, 2021: Minister of Tourism, Hon. Edmund Bartlett has issued an impassioned appeal to unvaccinated tourism workers, including those in sub-sectors related to cruise shipping, to get vaccinated.

New Negril Mini Stadium hailed as a facilitator of social development

Negril, Westmoreland; Saturday July 31, 2021… The New Negril Mini Stadium is being championed as a facilitator of social, human and community development, as its amenities are envisaged to improve the skills and talents of local community members. The creation of the 83-million-dollar stadium was executed by the Tourism Product Development Company Limited (TPDCo) with funding from Tourism Enhancement Fund (TEF).

Investment to Play Crucial Role in Building Post-COVID Tourism Product – Bartlett

KINGSTON, Jamaica; July 30, 2021: Tourism Minister Hon. Edmund Bartlett is encouraging players in the financial sector to explore the many investment opportunities available in the tourism industry to spur growth in the sector, which has been severely impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

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.