Government of Jamaica

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 Seated, Minister of Tourism, Hon Edmund Bartlett (C) with Roberta Iannacito-Provenzano, Provost and Vice-President, Academic, Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU) (L) and Cynthia Holmes, Dean, Ted Rogers School of Management, TMU. Sharing in the moment are standing L-R, Donovan White, Director of Tourism, Donnette Chin-Loy, Chancellor TMU and Angella Bennett, Regional Director, Canada. The occasion was the tour of the University to discuss tourism opportunities and partnership.

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TORONTO, Canada; Thursday October 8, 2025: Minister of Tourism, Hon Edmund Bartlett, has announced that initial discussions have started to have the Jamaica Centre of Tourism Innovation (JCTI) and Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU) collaborate to develop comprehensive training and certification programs for tourism professionals across Jamaica. This groundbreaking partnership will aim to strengthen the capabilities of Jamaica's tourism workforce by providing world-class professional development opportunities that align with international industry standards. The collaboration will leverage TMU's extensive expertise in hospitality and tourism education alongside JCTI's deep understanding of the Caribbean tourism landscape. “This partnership represents a significant milestone in our commitment to building a highly skilled, globally competitive tourism workforce,” said Minister of Tourism, Hon Edmund Bartlett. “By working with Toronto Metropolitan University, we're bringing internationally recognized training standards to Jamaica while ensuring our programs reflect the unique strengths of Caribbean hospitality.”

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Tourism and Culture Ministers Urge Everyone to Buy Jamaican This Christmas

MONTEGO BAY, Jamaica; December 17, 2020: Minister of Tourism, Edmund Bartlett and Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, Olivia ‘Babsy’ Grange, have joined forces in calling on Jamaicans and other persons seeking gift items, to use the yuletide season to shop locally and support Jamaican designers, artisans and other local producers of goods and services.

Minister Bartlett Welcomes Return of BA to Montego Bay

MONTEGO BAY, Jamaica; December 14, 2020: Three days ahead of the start of the traditional winter tourist season, Minister of Tourism, Edmund Bartlett elatedly welcomed the return of British Airways flights to Montego Bay. The first fully loaded Boeing 777 flight, BA2265 from London Gatwick, touched down at the Sangster International Airport late Saturday afternoon (December 12).

Minister Bartlett to Chair OAS Tourism Recovery Working Group

KINGSTON, Jamaica; December 09, 2020: Tourism Minister, Edmund Bartlett has been selected to chair a high-level Organization of American States (OAS) Working Group, which has been charged with the development of an action plan, for the recovery of the cruise and airline industries in light of the fall-out caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Jamaica Wins Top Accolades at World Travel Awards 2020

KINGSTON, Jamaica; November 30, 2020: Efforts by various government ministries and tourism partners to introduce robust COVID-19 health and safety protocols to facilitate the safe re-opening of the tourism sector, continue to bear fruit, as Jamaica has been named the World’s Leading Family, Cruise and Wedding Destination at the 27th annual World Travel Awards. Several leading Jamaican tourism entities have also won major accolades.

Minister Bartlett Lauds JHTA’s COVID-19 Ambassador Programme

KINGSTON, Jamaica; November 26, 2020: Tourism Minister, Hon. Edmund Bartlett has lauded the Jamaica Hotel and Tourist Association (JHTA) for their new COVID-19 Ambassador Programme and has given his assurance that the Ministry of Tourism will continue to provide tangible support towards the initiative.

Health and Wellness Key to Driving Tourism Industry Post COVID - Bartlett

MONTEGO BAY, Jamaica; November 19, 2020: Health and wellness tourism has been identified as a key area that will help to drive growth in Jamaica’s tourism industry moving forward, in light of the new norm created in the global travel and hospitality market, due to the COVID-19 pandemic.