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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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Employees of Tourist Attractions Thankful to Return to Work

OCHO RIOS, St. Ann, Jamaica; Monday, July 27, 2020: Employees of some of Jamaica’s leading tourist attractions have expressed gratitude to be able to return to work and told Tourism Minister Hon Edmund Bartlett, that they were eager to be back playing their role in rebuilding the tourism sector.

Minister Bartlett Issues Stern Shut-Down Warning

MANDEVILLE, Manchester, Jamaica, Sunday, July 19, 2020: Minister of Tourism, Hon Edmund Bartlett, has warned that tourism entities that fail to comply with health and safety protocols designed to facilitate the phased reopening of the tourism sector, amid the COVID-19 pandemic, will be shut down.

Jamaica’s South Coast Now Open to Tourists - Bartlett

KINGSTON, Jamaica; July 15, 2020: The Island’s South Coast is now open to tourists following the launch of a South Coast Resilient Corridor, which runs from Milk River to Negril. In an effort to drive the continued safe re-opening of the tourism sector, Tourism Minister, Hon. Edmund Bartlett yesterday announced that the new corridor will be introduced on July 15. Much like the North Coast Resilient Corridor, which was introduced in June, this area will welcome visitors with robust health and safety protocols.

Bartlett Announces Over J$2 Billion in Funding for Small Enterprises in Tourism

KINGSTON, Jamaica; July 10, 2020: Minister of Tourism, Hon Edmund Bartlett has announced that over $J2 Billion in funding will be made available for Small and Medium Tourism Enterprises (SMTEs). The move, forms part of the government’s commitment to help these small tourism businesses retool and rebound amidst the COVID-19 pandemic.

Tourism is at the Heart of Jamaica’s Post-COVID Economic Recovery Programme – Bartlett

KINGSTON, Jamaica; July 10, 2020: Tourism Minister Hon. Edmund Bartlett says Jamaica’s tourism sector is critical to Jamaica’s economic recovery from the negative effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Grim UNCTAD Report Underscores Need to Safely Reopen Tourism Sector

KINGSTON, Jamaica; July 1, 2020: Tourism Minister, Hon. Edmund Bartlett says that a report published today by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) outlining the projected fallout for the global economy and in particular countries like Jamaica, due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on tourism, further underscores the need to restore the sector by reopening on a phased basis and in a safe manner.

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