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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Global Tourism Players Must Prepare to Meet the Needs of “Gen-C Travellers” - Bartlett

KINGSTON, Jamaica; June 24, 2020: Tourism Minister, Hon. Edmund Bartlett says global tourism players must prepare to meet the new demands of the post-COVID generation, whose return to travel will be crucial to the recovery of the global economy.
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Minister Bartlett Chairs High-level UNWTO Meeting

KINGSTON, Jamaica; June 18, 2020: Tourism Minister Hon. Edmund Bartlett, today chaired the high level 65th meeting of the United Nations World Tourism Organization’s (UNWTO) Commission for the Americas (CAM). During the virtual session he led a team of 22 Member States from across the Americas, in high-level discussions to develop a strategy for sustainable growth, as some tourism industries across the globe, prepare for the recovery period from the economic and social impact experienced, because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
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Tourism and Health Ministries Collaborate to Safely Fully Reopen Borders

MONTEGO BAY, Jamaica, Monday, June 15, 2020: Minister of Tourism, Hon Edmund Bartlett and Health and Wellness Minister, Hon Christopher Tufton have jointly lauded the collaboration that enabled today’s full reopening of Jamaica’s borders to international travel and, in particular, the restart of the country’s tourism industry.
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Adequate Systems in Place for Reopening of Tourism Sector - Bartlett

MONTEGO BAY, Jamaica; Sunday, June 14, 2020: Minister of Tourism, Hon Edmund Bartlett has expressed confidence that adequate systems have been put in place for the reopening of Jamaica’s tourism industry. This, as he lauded the efforts of tourism partners and stakeholders for the preparations that have been made at the Sangster International Airport to facilitate the smooth reopening of the sector on Monday (June 15).
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Preparations in High Gear for the Reopening of Jamaica’s Tourism Sector

MONTEGO BAY, Jamaica; Friday, June 5, 2020: Tourism Minister, Hon Edmund Bartlett has lauded local tourism partners for the high level of preparation evident in key sub-sectors of the tourism industry to protect tourism workers and visitors from the threat posed by the Coronavirus (COVID-19), ahead of the phased reopening of the sector.
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Bartlett Says - Tourism Sector Re-opening to Safeguard the Livelihoods of Over 350,000 Jamaican Workers

KINGSTON, Jamaica; June 04, 2020: Tourism Minister, Hon. Edmund Bartlett says the re-opening of the sector, at this time, is crucial to assisting the over 350,000 pandemic-displaced workers and the many tourism enterprises that are at severe economic risk.
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