KINGSTON, Jamaica; Monday, July 27, 2026: Minister of Tourism, Hon. Edmund Bartlett, will depart the island later today for Toronto, Canada, where he will serve as keynote speaker at the Canadian–Caribbean Tourism Resilience Symposium: Co-Designing the Next Decade, being hosted by George Brown Polytechnic’s Global Tourism Resilience and Crisis Management Centre (GTRCMC) from July 29-30, 2026.
The symposium will convene senior government officials, international tourism leaders, academics, policymakers and private sector stakeholders from Canada and the Caribbean to examine the future of tourism through the lenses of resilience, innovation, sustainability and strategic partnership. Discussions will focus on strengthening tourism systems, advancing climate resilience, harnessing artificial intelligence and digital transformation, and fostering greater collaboration between the two regions.
As keynote speaker, Minister Bartlett will outline Jamaica’s globally recognised leadership in tourism resilience and share the country’s vision for building a smarter, more inclusive and future-ready tourism industry. He will also participate in a post speech discussion. The tourism minister will be accompanied by senior tourism officials, including Executive Director of the GTRCMC, headquartered in Jamaica, Professor Lloyd Waller, and Director of Tourism, Donovan White, who are also scheduled to participate in the symposium’s programme.
Ahead of his departure, Minister Bartlett underscored the importance of the engagement at a time when destinations worldwide are seeking new approaches to strengthen tourism in an increasingly uncertain global environment. “Jamaica has earned international recognition as a thought leader in tourism resilience, and this symposium presents another important opportunity to share our experiences while collaborating with our Canadian and Caribbean partners to shape the next chapter of global tourism. The future of the industry will depend on our ability to build resilience, embrace innovation, leverage artificial intelligence responsibly and create tourism economies that are more inclusive and sustainable,” he noted.
Minister Bartlett added that the forum aligns closely with Jamaica’s Tourism 3.0 growth agenda, which seeks to transform the tourism sector through stronger governance, greater community participation, enhanced innovation and deeper economic linkages. Beyond the symposium, Minister Bartlett’s itinerary includes a strategic meeting with Canadian business leaders Wes Hall and Donette Chin-Loy Chang.
While in Toronto, the tourism minister will also undertake an extensive programme of media engagements to promote Destination Jamaica and reinforce the country’s tourism recovery and transformation agenda. His itinerary includes a live television interview on CTV Your Morning, one of Canada’s leading national morning programmes; a radio interview with Patricia and Spex on FLOW 98.7 FM, which serves the Caribbean diaspora in the Greater Toronto Area; and interviews with Toronto Caribbean Newspaper, and veteran Caribbean journalist Paul Junor. He is also expected to participate in media engagements during the Casa Loma Concert Series – Tribute to Bob Marley, further showcasing Jamaica’s cultural offerings to Canadian audiences.
Minister Bartlett is scheduled to return to Jamaica on Saturday, August 1, 2026.
