Government of Jamaica

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Minister of Tourism, Found and Co-Chair off the Global Tourism Resilience and Crisis Management Centre, Hon Edmund Bartlett pauses for a photo opportunity with (L-R), Minister of Wildlife Conservation and Tourism, South Sudan, Hon Denay Chagor, Hon Rebecca Miano, EGH, Cabinet Secretary, Ministry of Tourism and Wildlife, Kenya, Hon Augusto Laurindo Kalikemala, Secretary of State, Minister of Tourism, Angola and Hon Kwete Lobo Valere, Charge d’etude, Minister of Tourism, Democratic Republic of Congo.

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NAIROBI; Kenya; February 19, 2026 – Jamaica’s Minister of Tourism, Hon Edmund Bartlett, on Monday, February 16, delivered a powerful call to action for the global tourism community to move ‘From Crisis to Transformation’ as he addressed the opening of the 4th Global Tourism Resilience Day Conference and Expo in Nairobi, Kenya. Hosted in partnership with the Government of Kenya and anchored by the Kenyatta University, the conference convened global tourism leaders, policymakers, academics, and private sector stakeholders to examine the urgent need for building resilience in an era of constant disruption. Speaking under the conference theme ‘From Crisis to Transformation’, Minister Bartlett outlined the overlapping global challenges reshaping tourism, including climate shocks, health-security threats, geopolitical instability, economic volatility, public safety concerns, cybercrime, and the growing threat of misinformation and disinformation.

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Tourism Ministry to Spend More on Marketing Carnival in Jamaica

KINGSTON, Jamaica; January 17, 2020: Tourism Minister, Hon. Edmund Bartlett has announced that his Ministry will be increasing investment in developing Carnival in Jamaica as a tourism product, which will be marketed to destinations across the globe.

Tourism Demand Study shows need for J$391.6 Billion in Agricultural and Manufacturing Goods, says Bartlett

KINGSTON, Jamaica; January 17, 2020: Tourism Minister, Hon. Edmund Bartlett says data from a recent demand study shows the need for J$391.6 Billion in goods from the agricultural and manufacturing sectors. The break out shows a demand for goods of J$352 Billion for manufacturing and J$39.6 Billion for agriculture.

Jamaica Rum Festival to be Marketed as a Tourism Product

KINGSTON, Jamaica; January 16, 2020: Tourism Minister, Hon. Edmund Bartlett has announced that the Jamaica Rum Festival (JRF) will be packaged and marketed as a tourism product and sold to potential visitors to the island.

Plans in High Gear for UNWTO Conference on Resilience and Innovation

KINGSTON, Jamaica; January 15, 2020: Tourism Minister Hon. Edmund Bartlett says plans are in high gear for Jamaica to host the first ever United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) Summit on Innovation and Resilience Management, in Montego Bay this May.

Tourism Minister Moves to Declare Port Royal as Prescribed Area under the JTB Act

KINGSTON, Jamaica; January 13, 2020: Tourism Minister, Hon. Edmund Bartlett says he will be putting measures in place to declare Port Royal as a prescribed area, under the Jamaica Tourist Board Act. This move should ensure a safe and hassle-free environment for tourists, as it would allow police additional remit to handle harassers.

Ocho Rios Number 1 Port in Jamaica, contributing 40% of total arrivals in 2019

OCHO RIOS, St. Ann; January 10, 2020: Tourism Minister Hon. Edmund Bartlett says Ocho Rios has emerged as the number one port in the country, having contributed forty percent of total visitor arrivals in 2019.