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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Breaches of COVID-19 Protocols Will Not be Tolerated in the Tourism Sector - Bartlett

KINGSTON, Jamaica; May 28, 2021: Tourism Minister, Hon. Edmund Bartlett has issued a stern warning that breaches of the established protocols put in place to contain the spread of the COVID-19 virus, will not be tolerated in the tourism sector. This as he underscored that the controversial staging of the Mocha Fest event at Rick’s Café in Negril was in direct breach of the Government’s COVID-19 health and safety protocols.
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Bartlett Steps Up Lobby for Vaccine Equity at Global Tourism Recovery Summit

KINGSTON, Jamaica; May 28, 2021: Tourism Minister, Hon. Edmund Bartlett has stepped up his lobby for players in the global community to make their voices heard about the issue of vaccine equity and its implications for global economic recovery, as well as the full restoration of the tourism industry.
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Minister Bartlett Mourns the Death of Tourism Stalwart Ernest Smatt

KINGSTON, Jamaica; May 27, 2021: Tourism Minister, Hon. Edmund Bartlett is mourning the passing of tourism stalwart and prominent businessman, Ernest Smatt, who died today (May 27, 2021) at the age of 88. Smatt died in Miami, Florida, while receiving treatment in hospital.
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Tourism Recovery Being Driven by Unity – Tourism Partners

KINGSTON, Jamaica; May 19, 2021: Stakeholders in the tourism sector have expressed that the recovery of the industry is being driven by the unity among tourism partners, which has been further concretized following the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Many emphasise that the sector has never been more united.
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Bartlett Congratulates Jamaican Recipients of 2021 TripAdvisor Accolades

KINGSTON, Jamaica; May 18, 2021: Tourism Minister, Hon. Edmund Bartlett has expressed heartfelt congratulations to the management and staff of several Jamaican hotels that have received major accolades in the prestigious TripAdvisor Travelers' Choice 2021 Best of the Best Awards.
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Minister Bartlett to Participate in Major Global Tourism Tradeshow, FITUR

KINGSTON, Jamaica; May 18, 2021: Tourism Minister, Hon. Edmund Bartlett is set to attend the highly anticipated annual international travel and tourism tradeshow, FITUR, which will be conducted in person, in Madrid, Spain from May 19-23. FITUR was the last major global in-person trade fair to take place before the COVID-19 pandemic, and is the first of its kind to return, in a non-virtual format.
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