Kingston, Jamaica; Monday, March 18, 2024: Minister of Tourism, Hon. Edmund Bartlett, is set to depart the island today (March 18) to participate in Eco-Canada's Sustainable Blue Economy Summit 2024 in Halifax, Canada, on Tuesday, March 19, 2024. Minister Bartlett will be a featured speaker and thought leader at the summit, highlighting the critical importance of the blue economy to building tourism resilience and sustainability.

Commenting on the significance of the high-level summit, Minister Bartlett said: “The blue economy is intricately linked to the resilience of our tourism sector. As a small island developing state, Jamaica must prioritize sustainable practices and environmental stewardship to ensure the long-term viability of our tourism industry. I am honoured to share Jamaica's perspective on these critical issues and engage in meaningful discussions with fellow industry leaders and eco-tourism advocates.”

Eco Canada highlights that the event seeks to bring together thought leaders, environmental professionals, and experts from various fields to engage in meaningful discussions on the critical issues facing our oceans and explore innovative solutions for a sustainable blue economy. The event, themed “Sustainable Blue Economy Summit 2024: Beyond the Shoreline,” will take place at the Halifax Tower and Conference Centre in Nova Scotia. 

In this regard, Minister Bartlett noted that his involvement in the summit underscores Jamaica's commitment to sustainable tourism practices and the preservation of marine ecosystems. The tourism minister will be participating in two sessions during the summit. The first session, a keynote presentation under the theme “Navigating the Blue Horizon: Inspiring a Vision for a Sustainable Blue Economy,” will take place from 1:30-2:00 PM. In this session, Minister Bartlett will address critical issues facing the ocean economy, emphasizing the need for sustainable practices and responsible tourism.

Following the keynote session, Minister Bartlett will join a panel discussion titled “Empowering Coastal Communities and Indigenous Perspectives” from 3:00-4:00 PM. This engaging fireside chat will explore the involvement of coastal communities and indigenous perspectives in sustainable coastal and marine management. 

Minister Bartlett is scheduled to return to Jamaica on Wednesday, March 20, 2024.

BERLIN; Germany; Friday March 8, 2024: Minister of Tourism, Hon Edmund Bartlett is driving future tourism investment for St. Thomas which is gearing up to become Jamaica’s newest tourist destination. In a meeting with German leisure, travel and tourism company, TUI Group, it was confirmed that the company is exploring expanding its footprints in Jamaica and is showing signs of interest to invest in St. Thomas. 

The interest stems from the group’s hotel expansion plans in Jamaica and St. Thomas has been positioned as the ideal location to support this, while ensuring sustainable tourism practices. The Government of Jamaica’s Southern Coastal Highway Improvement Project (SCHIP) has provided increased publicity and opportunities to St. Thomas’ potential as a new investment frontier. The project will facilitate ease of movement, especially between the parish and the Norman Manley International Airport.

Minister Bartlett made the investment pitch during a meeting yesterday (March 7) with Senior TUI Group executives and his senior tourism team at the TUI Group office in Berlin.

“St. Thomas has become extremely attractive and is ripe for investment as this highway development comes on stream. It only makes sense that as we diversify our tourism products that we zero in on the possibilities that exist in the parish.

I am happy that our long-standing partner, TUI Group, continues to show confidence in the destination by including Jamaica in its expansion plans. This future mega investment will translate to more jobs and opportunities for communities and will be a game changer for the parish,” said Minister Bartlett.

TUI Group Senior Executives, led by their CEO of Markets and Airlines, Mr. David Schelp, reconfirmed their strong partnership with Jamaica as one of its key destinations in the Caribbean. Considered the largest travel company in the world, it is also the leading tour operator for Germans going to Jamaica. 

TUI Group fully or partially owns several travel agencies, hotel chains, cruise lines and retail shops as well as five European airlines. These activities involve the operation of 353 hotels with 275,144 beds and it allows its brand to be used for another 65 hotels operated by third parties. These hotels accommodate 21 million guests per year. It also operates 16 cruise ships under the TUI Cruises, Hapag-Lloyd Cruises and Marella Cruises brands, as well as a fleet of 134 aircraft.

Discussions also included potential growth for flights in summer 2025, a curated Jamaica cruise itinerary that would explore home porting around the island’s ports and the establishment of a distinguished TUI Lecture series to promote tourism and tourism resilience. 

“The pandemic has shown that partnerships are critical in building resilience and sustaining tourism activities. As one such partner, TUI Group is a key component in Jamaica’s tourism growth strategy and we look forward to building out this new phase of expansion,” added Minister Bartlett.

BERLIN; Germany; Thursday March 7, 2024: The Pacific Area Travel Writers Association (PATWA) has bestowed the prestigious title of Global Tourism Icon upon Minister of Tourism, Hon Edmund Bartlett, recognizing his outstanding contributions to the tourism industry.

This esteemed accolade, that was presented yesterday (March 6), comes as a testament to Minister Bartlett’s relentless dedication to promoting sustainable tourism practices, fostering cultural exchange, and advancing the tourism sector on a global scale. He has been at the forefront of initiatives aimed at enhancing visitor experiences, building resilience and creating economic opportunities for local communities through tourism.

Upon receiving the title of Global Tourism Icon, the Minister expressed gratitude to the Pacific Area Travel Writers Association for this esteemed recognition. He emphasized the importance of collective action in advancing the tourism industry, underscoring the role of collaboration, innovation, and inclusivity in shaping the future of travel.

“It has been my life’s mission to ensure that the tourism sector in Jamaica flourishes in terms of arrivals, earnings, economic growth and resilience. I am pleased that through public-private sector partnerships we have not only weathered the most devastating period in global tourism history but have elevated Jamaica as a premier travel destination and also set a benchmark for excellence in the global tourism landscape,” said Minister Bartlett.

The Pacific Area Travel Writers Association's decision to honour Minister Bartlett as a Global Tourism Icon reaffirms his status as a visionary leader and trailblazer in the field of tourism. His unwavering commitment to excellence and sustainability serves as an inspiration to industry professionals and travellers alike.

Minister Barlett is leading a delegation at ITB Berlin, the world's largest travel tradeshow. With over 20 thousand participants expected this year, ITB Berlin is viewed as an important platform for the international tourism industry, facilitating knowledge and networking.

BERLIN; Germany; Thursday March 7, 2024: Jamaica has been named Global Destination of the Year at the renowned travel trade show, ITB in Berlin. The award was presented yesterday by the Pacific Area Travel Writers Association (PATWA). The PATWA is a nonprofit international media organization of travel writers founded in 1999 and the awards seek to recognize organizations, destinations/brands and individuals achieving the highest standards in their field.

In accepting the award on behalf of the destination, Minister of Tourism, Hon Edmund Bartlett said, “Jamaica is known for its food, music and indeed love so we are humbled to be recognized for these experiential offerings to our visitors that provide meaningful memories.”

The PATWA awards are held during ITB and are among the most coveted recognitions where nominees are evaluated on various standards with an extensive internal evaluation for each category. 

The Minister of Tourism is participating in the 2024 staging of ITB Berlin, the world's largest travel tradeshow. With over 20 thousand participants expected for this year, ITB Berlin is viewed as a critical platform for the international tourism industry, fostering networking and facilitating knowledge exchange.

“PATWA remains one of the highest honours you can receive in tourism and travel and Jamaica continues to punch above its weight to excel in its products and services. It is truly the perfect backdrop for all things romance – engagements, weddings, honeymoons – you name it,” added Minister Bartlett.

Jamaica has received several awards based on its authentic and unique tourism offerings. Last year, the island was named ‘Caribbean’s Best Culinary Destination’ at the World Culinary Awards. In the same year, Jamaica won 33 World Travel Awards, chief among them was being named the ‘Caribbean’s Leading Destination.’

This award also comes on the heels of phenomenal arrivals and earnings for the island last year. The destination welcomed over 4 million international visitors and earned US4.2 billion.

Kingston, Jamaica; Tuesday, March 5, 2024: Minister of Tourism, Hon. Edmund Bartlett, has departed the island to participate in the 2024 staging of ITB Berlin, the world's largest travel tradeshow. With over 50 years of global recognition, ITB Berlin stands as a pivotal platform for the international tourism industry, fostering networking and facilitating knowledge exchange. 

Minister Bartlett's itinerary is stacked with high-level engagements, showcasing Jamaica's commitment to building international partnerships and promoting its vibrant tourism sector. His schedule includes a dinner meeting with TUI Group executives and a slate of engagements on Thursday (March 7), which includes interviews with prominent German travel trade magazines, FVW Medien and Touristik Aktuell, an ITB travel special interview with NTV and an appearance on Radio Frankfurt. Additionally, he is set to meet with the newly appointed Minister of Tourism and Cultural Affairs for Sierra Leone, Hon. Nabeela Tunis.

On Friday, (March 8), Minister Bartlett will lead a JTB regional meeting with staff and representatives based in Germany, followed by a meeting and reception with the Jamaican community in Germany at the Embassy of Jamaica in Berlin.

“ITB Berlin is well known as a catalyst for business within the travel and tourism ecosystem and provides an ideal forum for global industry players to connect and share insights. We aim to continue leveraging this opportunity to promote Destination Jamaica, foster growth in the tourism sector, as well as build and strengthen valuable international relationships,” expressed Minister Bartlett. 

His itinerary will also feature his participation in the Pacific Area Travel Writers Association (PATWA) International Travel Awards, which is a major event on the global tourism calendar.

Minister Bartlett is scheduled to return to Jamaica on Saturday, March 9, 2024. 

Montego Bay, Jamaica; Wednesday, February 21, 2024: Minister of Tourism, Hon Edmund Bartlett has renewed his call for visitors across the world to be asked to support the financing of tourism resilience initiatives via a special tip. While urging the international community to urgently unite to establish a Global Tourism Resilience Fund, Minister Bartlett outlined that “the money collected in each destination from this tip would contribute to the fund and aid in boosting tourism resilience.” 

Funding tourism resilience was one of the pressing issues explored at the just concluded 2nd Global Tourism Resilience Day Conference, which was held at the Montego Bay Convention Centre from February 16-17. With an international panel of experts, the discussion focused on how international organizations create and execute tourism resilience financing strategies.

Leading off the deliberations, Minister Bartlett said tourism offered investment opportunities for all interest groups “but the more important point that we want to focus on is investment in resilience; how do you present to a destination the resources necessary to enable them to be able to forecast and track disruptions, how to mitigate against it, how to manage, recover and recover quickly and how to thrive.”

“Investment in these areas is not necessarily sexy,” Minister Bartlett added as their return on investment was not easily measured. However, he said: “We are going to build capacity in this area; we’re going to be training people, educating, building structures to enable the education of people to do these things and the building of tools to be able to manage and overcome these pressures.”

Having closely examined the question of where the funding is to come from, Minister Bartlett pointed to the fact that some 1.5 billion visitors traversed the world in 2019 and “it is expected that in the next 25 years from now, 1.5 billion more people will traverse the world.” 

Faced with the questions of where those 3 billion people will be coming from and where they will be going, he said this raised the issue of personal responsibility on the part of visitors for resilience building. Stressing that tourism is arguably the most consumer-driven activity on Earth, Minister Bartlett said: “If we were to say to each visitor who travels, leave a resilience tip behind at every point of consumption, consider what 1.5 billion visitors leaving a tip at every point of consumption, with their propensity to consume, could do to individual destinations.”

He explained that the money left in each destination from this tip would be unfettered by the bureaucracy that often comes with multi-national engagements and the difficulty of navigating those processes as well as challenges faced in defining which countries or entities would be able to access these funds.

“It’s an opportunity for us to think through, and perhaps something that the UN Tourism Secretary-General might want to look at” Minister Bartlett noted. “One hundred and fifty countries are involved here and so we can broaden the scope of available resources for resilience funding and sustainability by making a personal commitment for each tourist travelling across the world, in terms of the consumption pattern and carbon footprint that flows from those consumption patterns and to create a fund that may very well be the answer for building capacity for mitigation, adaptation and the building of human capacity,” said Minister Bartlett.

Montego Bay, Jamaica; Tuesday, February 20, 2024: UN Tourism Secretary-General H.E. Zurab Pololikashvili has outlined plans to boost job creation and investment in the Caribbean’s tourism industry. Mr. Pololikashvili was a keynote speaker during the just concluded 2nd Global Tourism Resilience Day Conference at the Montego Bay Convention Centre. 

Underscoring the importance of building the resilience of tourism in the Caribbean, he stated: “We need presence; we need to support families whose income is only from tourism and agriculture, and fishing.” That’s why, he said, with the support of ministers present, “I promise all Jamaicans and all Caribbeans that we’ll be here talking about how to develop the tourist industry and how to create new jobs.”

The Secretary-General underscored that jobs were crucial, as well as education, stressing that UN Tourism would be focusing more on job creation and investments. He added that: “We need more money here, more foreign direct investments in the region.” While promising that more would come, he warned that “it’s not easy, it takes time.”

The conference was jointly organized by the Ministry of Tourism, UN Tourism (formerly the United Nations World Tourism Organization, UNWTO), and the Global Tourism Resilience and Crisis Management Centre (GTRCMC), which is being rebranded as the Global Tourism Resilience Centre (GTRC), under the theme, “Navigating the Future of Tourism Resilience.”

Also speaking at the event, which ran from February 16-17, Minister of Tourism, Hon Edmund Bartlett said, “understanding the impact and the role that tourism is going to play in how the world changes and morphs into the future is important for us as we try to bring the next generation into an understanding of this great economic activity called tourism.”

Underscoring the importance of the industry, Mr. Bartlett said it was now regarded as one of the fastest ways of transferring wealth, arguably from the rich to the poor. 

“So, tourism, in that space, has now become the main driver of this process of building capital across the world, and the value of tourism is that it is not really extracted. It can be but it is not; it adds value every step of the way and it encourages creativity and innovation,” he said.

Minister Bartlett also posited that tourism responded to the demands of people in a holistic way “so that anyone and almost everyone, can benefit from tourism activity.”

Montego Bay, Jamaica; Monday, February 19, 2024: Jamaica’s position as a leader in tourism resilience building has been further bolstered following the announcement that UN Tourism (formerly UNWTO) has forged a major partnership with the Global Tourism Resilience and Crisis Management Centre (GTRCMC), which is being rebranded as the Global Tourism Resilience Centre (GTRC). It was also outlined that UN Tourism will continue to partner with Destination Jamaica in hosting the Global Tourism Resilience Day Conference moving forward.

The announcements were made jointly by Minister of Tourism, Hon Edmund Bartlett and UN Tourism Secretary-General H.E. Zurab Pololikashvili as they marked the second annual observance of Global Tourism Resilience Day (February 17) at the Montego Bay Convention Centre.

Minister Bartlett said while Jamaica has played a pivotal role in getting February 17 designated Global Tourism Resilience Day, other countries had been an important part of the initiative. Announcing the next step, Minister Bartlett said: “Now we will be establishing the Centre as a global entity in partnership with UN Tourism. We are also announcing the establishment of a Caribbean Tourism Academy, which the UN is going to work with us on as part of their global network.” 

He noted that this will pattern academies located in Saudi Arabia, Spain, Switzerland and Uzbekistan with another to be established in Brazil. The Jamaican academy will serve the Caribbean region. 

Mr. Pololikashvili said the next move would be “to create a Tourism Resilient Fund to continue the legacy of the GTRC,” which will continue to have its headquarters in Kingston. The establishment of the fund was proposed by Minister Bartlett at last year’s staging of the event.

Meanwhile, Minister Bartlett also disclosed that he would be having bilateral talks with Saudi Arabia’s Deputy Minister of Tourism in charge of International Affairs, Sultan Mohammed Al Musallam “to discuss other areas of collaboration between Jamaica, the Caribbean and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.”

As part of the Global Tourism Resilience Day celebration, participants also heard from Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, Senator the Hon. Kamina Johnson-Smith and Sultan Al Musallam.

There was also an in-depth presentation by Mr. Mitsuyoshi Kawasaki, Resident Representative, Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) on the topic: “Towards a Framework Document for the Future of Tourism Resilience: Findings from the JICA/GTRCMC Tourism and Resilience Futures Workshop.”

The day’s activities were held on day two of the 2nd Global Tourism Resilience Day Conference, which explored various facets of the industry worldwide through the minds of numerous experts and ran from February 16-17, 2024 under the theme, “Navigating the Future of Tourism Resilience.” The conference is a collaborative effort between the Ministry of Tourism, UN Tourism and the GTRC.

Montego Bay, Jamaica; Thursday, February 15, 2024: As preparations intensify ahead of the start of the 2nd Global Tourism Resilience Day Conference, which will be held at the Montego Bay Convention Centre from February 16-17, Minister of Tourism, Hon. Edmund Bartlett has announced the launch of a new book on Day 2 of the event entitled, "Decoding the Future of Tourism Resilience.” The conference, which is being hosted in collaboration with UN Tourism (formerly the United Nations World Tourism Organization, UNWTO) and the Global Tourism Resilience and Crisis Management Centre (GTRCMC), also aligns with the first anniversary of the United Nations’ official declaration of February 17 as Global Tourism Resilience Day annually.

Speaking in a press briefing recently, Executive Director of the GTRCMC, Professor Lloyd Waller, who co-authored the publication with Minister Bartlett, highlighted that their latest book covers emerging trends in tourism, including space travel and tourism, and how small island developing states can position themselves to benefit. He noted that: “This book is the result of five years of extensive conversations between Minister Bartlett and myself. It represents our commitment to codify these ideas and establish Jamaica as a thought leader in global tourism.”

With the start of the conference fast approaching Prof. Waller outlined the four critical themes that will be explored during the 2-day event: digital resilience, infrastructure resilience, funding tourism resilience, and women in tourism.

Sharing his perspective on the relevance of high-level discourse around issues particularly related to building digital resilience in tourism, Minister Bartlett said: “This conference delves into the intricate relationship between AI, virtual technology, and the tourism sector. It's crucial to understand how the power of people to manipulate machine intelligence and learning will impact their relevance within the labour market. We will also examine how emerging business models, such as the sharing economy, are reshaping the landscape of tourism.” 

He noted that other noteworthy aspects of the conference include the first visit of UN Tourism Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili to the English-speaking Caribbean. The event also commemorates Jamaica's achievement of joining Nigeria as the only developing countries to successfully lobby for the declaration of a Global Day of Recognition around tourism.

Furthermore, Minister Bartlett stressed that the conference would facilitate discussions related to education and human capital development in the tourism sector regionally, with the goal of establishing the first-ever Caribbean Tourism Academy. The conference will also host the inaugural Global Tourism Resilience Awards on the final day, honouring the top 5 tourism leaders across the Caribbean who demonstrated resilience throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.

In light of this, Minister Bartlett expressed confidence in Jamaica's tourism trajectory, adding, "Jamaica remains on track to meeting our targets of welcoming 5 million visitors and earning US$ 5 billion by 2025. With a 42% repeat business rate and performance figures trending 9% ahead of 2023 for the year already, confidence in Destination Jamaica remains high."

Kingston, Jamaica; Tuesday, February 13, 2024: With only days remaining to the staging of the highly anticipated 2nd Global Tourism Resilience Day Conference, Minister of Tourism, Hon. Edmund Bartlett believes the event is very timely. The conference will be held at the Montego Bay Convention Centre on February 16 and 17, under the theme, “Navigating the Future of Tourism Resilience.” This significant event coincides with the first anniversary of the United Nations' declaration of February 17 as Global Tourism Resilience Day annually, a milestone achieved through Jamaica's successful lobbying efforts led by Minister Bartlett.

Mr. Bartlett reiterated the timeliness of the conference, stating: “We would have seen first-hand the far-reaching impact of rising sea levels just a few days ago along Jamaica’s north coast as well as in other islands. Incidentally, the conference being in Montego Bay, which was also affected, provides a crucial opportunity to address issues related to climate change and resilience building in tourism. Now more than ever, we must unite to find sustainable solutions that safeguard our industry and destinations.”

The conference, a collaborative effort between the Ministry of Tourism, UN Tourism (formerly the United Nations World Tourism Organization, UNWTO), and the Global Tourism Resilience and Crisis Management Centre (GTRCMC), promises two days of insightful discussions, engaging panels, and distinguished speakers.

The conference kicks off with an Opening Ceremony featuring Keynote Speaker UN Tourism Secretary-General H.E. Zurab Pololikashvili. Day one will see several engaging panel discussions starting with a session on “Building Tourism 'Digital' Resilience.” The panel will explore the changing landscape of the tourism sector in the digital age. Participants will include Senator the Hon. Dr. Dana Morris Dixon, Minister without Portfolio in the Office of the Prime Minister with responsibility for Skills and Digital Transformation; Natalia Bayona, UN Tourism Executive Director; Mr. Cordel Green, Executive Director, Broadcasting Commission of Jamaica; Dr. Luz Longsworth, Senior Corporate Director, Sandals Corporate University; Mr. Dushyant Savadia, Founder and CEO, Amber Group, Mr. Devon Bryan, Chief Information Officer, Carnival Corporation as well as Mr. Eric Sutfin, Founder & CMSO - ZEAL.

This will be followed by a stimulating conversation on “Building Tourism 'Infrastructure' Resilience.” This session will focus on enhancing resilience in various tourism sectors. Speakers will include Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Mining, Hon. Floyd Green; Dr. Carey Wallace, Executive Director, Tourism Enhancement Fund (TEF); Wade Mars, Executive Director, Tourism Product Development Company Limited (TPDCo); Professor Andrew Spencer, President, Caribbean Maritime University (CMU); Ms. Alicia Montalvo, Manager of Climate Action and Positive Biodiversity, CAF - Development Bank of Latin America and the Caribbean and Mr. John Byles, Managing Partner at Chukka Caribbean Adventures.

Additionally, there will be an insightful session on “Women in Tourism Resilience.” This thought-provoking panel will highlight the vital role of women in building tourism resilience. Speakers will include Ms. Jennifer Griffith, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Tourism; Ms. Gloria Fluxà, Vice-Chair of the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) and Chair of its Sustainability Committee; Ms. Sheila Johnson, Co-founder of BET, CEO of Salamander Hotels and Resorts; Dr. Shakira Maxwell, Senior Research Fellow, Gender, Policy and Tourism Resilience Strategies, GTRCMC and Dr. Lisa Indar, Director, Surveillance Disease Prevention and Control Division at the Caribbean Public Health Agency.

The fourth and final panel discussion will focus on “Funding Tourism Resilience” and will delve into international strategies for financing resilience building. Participants will include Minister Bartlett and his colleague Minister of Finance and the Public Service, Dr. the Hon. Nigel Clarke; Mrs. Nicola Madden-Greig, President, Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association; Mr. Oscar Avalle, Country Representative, El Salvador and Northern Caribbean, CAF; Mr. Ibrahim Ayoub, Director, International Tourism and Investment Conference; Ms. Nataliya Mylenko, Lead Economist for the Caribbean, World Bank and Hon. Kenneth Bryan, Minister of Tourism and Ports for the Cayman Islands and Chairman of the Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO). 

The second and final day will see the official observance of Global Tourism Resilience Day 2024, which will entail a Keynote presentation from Prime Minister, the Most Hon. Andrew Holness, who will be joined by international speakers from Malaga, Spain, Kenya, and Saudi Arabia.

This will be followed by a high-level Ministerial Round Table with the UN Tourism Secretary-General, Mr. Pololikashvili and will include global representatives from the City of Malaga, Trinidad and Tobago, Belize, Brazil, Barbados, Burkina Faso and Senegal. Ministers Bartlett and Bryan will also be among those adding valuable insights to the discussions. 

The conference concludes with the inaugural Global Tourism Resilience Awards Gala.