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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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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.

Bartlett to Participate in African Tourism Recovery Summit

KINGSTON, Jamaica; July 13, 2021: Tourism Minister, Hon. Edmund Bartlett departed the island today (July 13) to participate in the highly anticipated Tourism Recovery Summit for African Ministers of Tourism, which will be held in Nairobi, Kenya, on Friday, July 16, 2021. Minister Bartlett has been invited to speak at the summit in his capacity as a well-respected global thought leader on tourism resilience and recovery.

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