MONTEGO BAY, Jamaica; Monday, July 21, 2025: As Jamaica braces for a significant increase in visitor arrivals over the next five years, Minister of Tourism Hon. Edmund Bartlett has given notice that embracing technology will be a key factor to the industry’s development.
With global travel on target to double over the next five years, Minister Bartlett has pointed to the pivotal role of technology in the developmental process. “The new technology in aviation is creating a whole new opportunity for larger and more significantly competent and efficient equipment: bigger planes, flying higher, carrying more passengers, moving beyond the speed of sound, crossing waters zillions of miles within hours,” he advanced.
His remarks were made at a Digicel Business Hospitality forum attended by senior executives in the hotel sector at the Montego Bay Convention Centre recently, where he contended that “over the last decade, two powerful forces have converged, the timeless human desire to explore our world and the unprecedented technological revolution reshaping how we fulfil that desire.”
As he shared insights into how digital transformation is changing the tourism industry and reimagining it entirely, Minister Bartlett highlighted four critical dimensions in which he said, the travel landscape has been upended: How destinations connect with potential visitors; how traveller expectations and behaviours are evolving; how vacation experiences are delivered; and, how technology enables more sustainable and inclusive tourism development.
“The significance of the tourism industry to Jamaica’s economy cannot be overstated. Much like the Caribbean, tourism is both our economic engine and a vibrant expression of our culture,” he stated, and as Minister of Tourism, “I firmly believe that embracing digital transformation is essential to keeping Jamaica a leading and competitive destination.”
He underlined that government’s commitment to empowering the hospitality sector with the tools to thrive was unwavering. Commending Digicel Business “for the significant investment, and collaboration in shaping a truly digitally innovative future for Jamaica,” Minister Bartlett said the Business Hospitality Event “exemplifies the critical partnerships needed to achieve this vision, showcasing how advanced connectivity, robust infrastructure, and dedicated support can profoundly enhance our guests’ experience and drive the operational efficiencies that are vital for our hotels, resorts, attractions and restaurants.”
“Tourism in Jamaica understands this, and we understand that we have to reimagine our human capital development programme. We recognize that we have to embrace the knowledge age as the driver for the experiences that will evolve in time to what may very well become the age of wisdom,” Minister Bartlett added.
He expounded that: “Digital technology is not just a boost for our tourism product; it is absolutely essential for the growth and sustainability of our largest industry.” He further stated: “Technology profoundly shapes everything in tourism – from creating new products and developing business strategies to creating truly unforgettable visitor experiences. For Jamaica, integrating technology into our tourism ecosystem is a strategic must-do. It is how we reinvent our offerings and solidify our competitive edge in the global marketplace.”
Jamaica’s destination marketing efforts are now being data driven as technology has provided the opportunity for the examination and understanding of travellers profiles, to investigate their cultures and to gain a greater insight into what value is being obtained for money spent.
“It is reshaping how experiences are developed, and secondly, it is redefining the psychographic profile of the market,” he said. Recognizing that people travel to fulfil their passions, Mr. Bartlett said being able to create products around these passion points to satisfy those desires is what attracts visitors, and Jamaica was succeeding “because we understand the consumption patterns of the tourists.”
