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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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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Bartlett Upbeat about Full Registration for Tourism Workers’ Pension Scheme in March

Montego Bay, St. James; February 7, 2020: Tourism Minister, Hon Edmund Bartlett is upbeat that workers in the sector will be able to fully register for the pension scheme starting in March 2020.

Jamaica’s First Artisan Village takes Shape… Next Steps, Theming, says Bartlett

FALMOUTH, Trelawny; February 6, 2020: Tourism Minister, Hon. Edmund Bartlett, says Jamaica’s first Artisan Village is taking shape and the next phase will be its theming. The project is being constructed at the Hampden Wharf in Falmouth.

Tourism Workers’ Pension Act now in Effect

KINGSTON, Jamaica; February 03, 2020: Tourism Minister Hon. Edmund Bartlett says the appointed date on which the Tourism Workers’ Pension Act came into operation was January 31, 2020, with registration for the scheme to begin soon.

Bartlett Calls for Global Support for a Tourism Resilience Fund

KINGSTON, Jamaica; January 28, 2020: Minister Bartlett says the recent threats of global pandemics and the frequent occurrences of natural disasters heightened the need for a Global Tourism Resilience Fund.

Minister Bartlett Congratulates Koffee on Her Grammy Win

KINGSTON, Jamaica; January 26, 2020: Minister of Tourism, Hon Edmund Bartlett extended his heartfelt congratulations to Jamaican teen sensation Koffee on winning the Grammy Award in the Best Reggae Album category, earlier yesterday in Los Angeles. Koffee becomes the first woman and the youngest artist to win the award in this category, for her album Rapture.

Jamaica and Panama Sign Multi-Destination Marketing and Airlift Agreement

MADRID, Spain; January 24, 2020: Tourism Minister, Hon Edmund Bartlett has announced that Jamaica and the Republic of Panama have signed a multi-destination arrangement, as part of efforts to strengthen tourism relations between both countries.