Government of Jamaica

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Minister of Tourism, Hon. Edmund Bartlett (2nd right) is joined by Director of the Jamaica Centre for Tourism Innovation (JCTI), Carol Rose-Brown (right) in greeting a portion of the first cohort of executive sous chefs trained and graduated by any Caribbean country outside the chamber of Gordon House ahead of his 2026 Sectoral Debate Presentation on Tuesday, June 23, 2026.

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Bartlett Declares New Era Built on Trust, Inclusion and Local Prosperity KINGSTON, Jamaica; Thursday, June 25, 2026: Minister of Tourism, Hon. Edmund Bartlett, has unveiled a new growth agenda dubbed: Tourism 3.0, describing it as Jamaica’s new development architecture designed to transform tourism from a successful industry into a more inclusive and resilient national economic engine rooted in trust, confidence and shared prosperity. Making his 2026 Sectoral Debate Presentation in Gordon House earlier this week, under the theme “Trust and Confidence,” Minister Bartlett positioned Tourism 3.0 as the framework that will guide the next phase of Jamaica’s tourism evolution, one where growth is measured not only by visitor arrivals but by stronger communities, higher local retention, greater resilience and broader economic participation. “Tourism 3.0 is not a slogan. It is a new development architecture for Jamaica,” Bartlett declared.

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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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.