Government of Jamaica

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Seated, Minister of Tourism, Hon Edmund Bartlett (C) with Roberta Iannacito-Provenzano, Provost and Vice-President, Academic, Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU) (L) and Cynthia Holmes, Dean, Ted Rogers School of Management, TMU. Sharing in the moment are standing L-R, Donovan White, Director of Tourism, Donnette Chin-Loy, Chancellor TMU and Angella Bennett, Regional Director, Canada. The occasion was the tour of the University to discuss tourism opportunities and partnership.

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Jamaica Centre of Tourism Innovation to Partner with Toronto Metropolitan University to Elevate Tourism Workforce Development

TORONTO, Canada; Thursday October 8, 2025: Minister of Tourism, Hon Edmund Bartlett, has announced that initial discussions have started to have the Jamaica Centre of Tourism Innovation (JCTI) and Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU) collaborate to develop comprehensive training and certification programs for tourism professionals across Jamaica. This groundbreaking partnership will aim to strengthen the capabilities of Jamaica's tourism workforce by providing world-class professional development opportunities that align with international industry standards. The collaboration will leverage TMU's extensive expertise in hospitality and tourism education alongside JCTI's deep understanding of the Caribbean tourism landscape. “This partnership represents a significant milestone in our commitment to building a highly skilled, globally competitive tourism workforce,” said Minister of Tourism, Hon Edmund Bartlett. “By working with Toronto Metropolitan University, we're bringing internationally recognized training standards to Jamaica while ensuring our programs reflect the unique strengths of Caribbean hospitality.”
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Tourism Minister urges Employers to Fully Participate in Pension Scheme

KINGSTON, Jamaica; October 17, 2019: Minister of Tourism, Hon Edmund Bartlett, is urging all employers in the sector, to participate fully in the Tourism Workers’ Pension Scheme, which is scheduled to become operational early next year.
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Jamaica welcomes 700,000 more Visitors over three years ….earnings to reach US3.7Billion

KINGSTON, Jamaica; October 14, 2019: Tourism Minister, Hon. Edmund Bartlett has indicated that Jamaica has welcomed an unprecedented seven hundred thousand (700,000) more visitors over the last three years. The tourism Minister also highlighted that the island is set to earn US3.7Billion by the end of the year, which represents an almost doubling of foreign exchange over the same period.
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Tourism Minister calls for the Establishment of a Regional Tourism Resilience Fund

KINGSTON, Jamaica; October 07, 2019: Tourism Minister, Hon. Edmund Bartlett has called for the establishment of a Tourism Resilience Fund, which will be the region’s first funding facility specifically designed to assist highly-susceptible tourist destinations in the region.
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Bartlett Congratulates S Hotel and Kanopi House on New Condé Nast Traveler Best Hotels Rankings

KINGSTON, Jamaica; October 7, 2019: Luxury and lifestyle travel magazine Condé Nast Traveler, has ranked S Hotel in Montego Bay and the Kanopi House in Portland as #1 and #6 best hotels in the Caribbean and Central America, respectively, in its 32nd annual Readers’ Choice Awards survey.
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Tourism Ministry to Host 2nd Tourism Resilience Summit of the Americas

KINGSTON, Jamaica; October 04, 2019: Tourism Minister, Hon. Edmund Bartlett has announced that his Ministry will be hosting the Second Tourism Resilience Summit of the Americas, under the theme “Building Tourism Resilience for Sustainable Development’. The event, which is open to the public, is scheduled to take place on October 9 and 10, at The University of the West Indies’ Regional Headquarters.
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Bartlett announces Luxury Planet Hotel for Jamaica

TORONTO, Canada; October 2, 2019: Tourism Minister Hon. Edmund Bartlett today announced that a Sunwing Travel Group led luxury Planet Hollywood Hotel & Resort will break ground in Trelawny next year.
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