Government of Jamaica

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News Releases

Minister of Tourism, Hon. Edmund Bartlett (second right) leads a unifying group handshake with (from left) Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Tourism, Jennifer Griffith, outgoing Chairman of the Tourism Enhancement Fund (TEF), Hon. Godfrey Dyer and incoming TEF Chairman, Ryan Parkes at the Ministry’s One-day Strategic Visioning Retreat held last Wednesday at the AC Marriott Hotel.

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Ryan Parkes Named New TEF Chairman

Minister Bartlett Salutes Godfrey Dyer’s 14 Years of Exemplary Service KINGSTON, Jamaica; Thursday, April 30, 2026: Minister of Tourism, Hon. Edmund Bartlett, has named Ryan Parkes, Group Chief Executive Officer of Island Car Rentals and Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Tourism Workers Pension Scheme (TWPS), as the new Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Tourism Enhancement Fund (TEF), effective May 1, 2026. The appointment, recently approved by Cabinet, was announced at the Ministry’s One-day Strategic Visioning Retreat held on April 22 at the AC Marriott Hotel. In making the announcement, Minister Bartlett also paid tribute to the outgoing TEF Chairman, Hon. Godfrey Dyer, whose 14-year tenure at the helm of the TEF represents the longest record of chairmanship in the fund’s history and one of the longest across government.
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The Recovery of Tourism Must Begin Now

KINGSTON, Jamaica; April 10, 2020: The Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA) recently upgraded the risk of transmission of COVID-19 to the Caribbean Region to Very High. The projection is now that the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on Caribbean economies could be worse than that of the 2008 Global Recession. The tourism sector is likely to be the hardest hit of all the major economic sectors in the region.
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CARE Programme Website Receives Over 7000 Applications within Hours of Launching

KINGSTON, Jamaica; April 09, 2020: Tourism Minister, Hon. Edmund Bartlett has announced that the Government of Jamaica has received over 7,000 applications on the website for the COVID-19 Allocation of Resources for Employees (CARE) programme, which was launched earlier today.
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Spanish Jamaica Foundation Makes US$200,000 Donation to the Government’s COVID-19 Recovery Programme

KINGSTON, Jamaica; April 09, 2020: The Spanish Jamaica Foundation has donated US$200,000 (J$28 million) to the Government of Jamaica’s COVID-19 Recovery Programme. The donation will go towards the procurement of well-needed protective gear and ventilators. The announcement was made during a digital press briefing hosted by the Ministry of Tourism earlier today.
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Bartlett Strengthens Agri-Tourism Linkages

KINGSTON, Jamaica; April 2, 2020: Tourism Minister, Hon. Edmund Bartlett today announced that his Ministry donated communication equipment, valued at approximately J$1.5 million, to assist farmers affected by the now-dormant tourism sector, which was their primary market.
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Online Training For Tourism Workers To Start Soon As COVID-19 Crisis Rocks Economy – Bartlett

KINGSTON, Jamaica; April 2, 2020: Tourism Minister Edmund Bartlett this morning announced the launch of a free online training programme for tourism workers affected by the negative impact of Covid-19.
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Bartlett meets with Craft Vendors to discuss strategies to mitigate against the Impact of COVID -19

KINGSTON, Jamaica; March 27, 2020: Minister of Tourism, Hon Edmund Bartlett has met with craft vendors, one of the key subsector groups in tourism, to discuss strategies to reduce the impact of COVID-19 on their businesses.
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