MONTEGO BAY, Jamaica; Monday, August 25, 2025: With the Caribbean being the most tourism-reliant region worldwide, where the industry contributes some 22% of gross domestic product (GDP), and supports 2.75 million jobs, Jamaica’s Minister of Tourism, Hon Edmund Bartlett says factors that threaten the sustainability of the industry must be tackled urgently.
At the same time, he is delighted that the region has been recovering from the disruptions brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic and adverse weather conditions. He told hundreds of travel advisors yesterday (August 24) that: “In 2024, the region saw a strong tourism rebound, with a 6.1% increase in international tourist arrivals compared to 2023, reaching 34.2 million. This also represented a 6.9% increase over pre-pandemic levels in 2019.” To underscore the impact, he pointed out that the region suffered a 65% decline in visitor arrivals in 2020.
Giving an overview of tourism in the region in a keynote address at the 4th Annual American Society of Travel Advisors (ASTA) Caribbean Showcase, at Sandals South Coast, Minister Bartlett also pointed to the resilience of the industry, supported by the fact that “despite these challenges, the Caribbean achieved the fastest recovery of any region worldwide.”
That notwithstanding, Minister Bartlett is concerned that the region continues to face challenges. “Our tourism-reliant economies make us susceptible to internal and external shocks. We are more vulnerable to climate change and natural disasters, including rising sea levels, more frequent and intense hurricanes, and coral reef degradation,” he underscored.
Other threats including geopolitical factors, ongoing instability in key source markets, as well as high costs and limited intra-regional travel options have also been underlined by Minister Bartlett as threats to regional tourism, as he issued a call that: “We must confront sustainable tourism practices more urgently than ever before.”
Noting that several ministers of tourism were attending the ASTA gathering, he said essentially, “the Caribbean’s strength lies in its unity” and by working together with harmonized policies, “we can enhance connectivity, standardize quality across the region, and create seamless travel experiences that encourage visitors to explore multiple islands, unlocking new opportunities for growth and cultural exchange.”
Among the other ministers of tourism in attendance were Deputy Prime Minister of St Lucia, Hon Dr. Ernest Hilaire; Hon G.P. Ian Gooding-Edghill of Barbados; Hon Carlos James of St Vincent & the Grenadines and Hon Adrian Thomas from Grenada. Minister Bartlett said their presence “demonstrated a unique spirit of cooperation, moving us from competition to ‘copetition’ within the region.” He said COVID-19 had taught a lesson that “we compete at our own peril and we ‘copete’ at our own glory; we become better, stronger if we ‘copete’ moving forward.”
