Kingston, Jamaica; Monday, December 4, 2023: Minister of Tourism, Hon. Edmund Bartlett, on the weekend received two major awards for Jamaica from the prestigious World Travel Awards, which is in its 30th year, at the landmark Burj Al Arab in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.  Minister Bartlett also as Founder and Chair of the Global Tourism Resilience and Crisis Management Centre (GTRCMC), a thinktank based in Jamaica, handed out five Global Tourism Resilience Awards to two major Middle East corporations and three countries.

Jamaica was awarded, “World’s Best Family Destination” and “World’s Best Cruise Destination” before a large audience of government leaders and officials, global corporate titans, and travel stakeholders. Meanwhile, the Global Tourism Resilience awards, presented by Bartlett, was for entities and countries that have demonstrated global leadership, pioneering vision and innovation to overcome critical challenges and adversity. The inaugural Global Tourism Resilience awardees are the nations of Qatar; The Maldives; The Philippines and UAE corporate powerhouses DP World, an Emirati multinational logistics company specializing in cargo logistics, port terminal operations, maritime services and free trade zone and Dnata, a leading global air and travel services provider offering ground handling, cargo, travel, catering and retail services in over 30 countries across six continents.

Minister Bartlett, Minister without Portfolio in the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation, Sen. the Hon. Matthew Samuda; Tourism Senior Advisor and Strategist, Delano Seiveright, Executive Director of the GTRCMC, Professor Lloyd Waller and Chairman of Jamaica's Climate Change Advisory Board, Professor Dale Webber were in Dubai on the occasion of COP 28, the United Nations Climate Change Conference 2023, with global leaders, governments and other leading stakeholders discussing how to limit and prepare for climate change.

The Global Tourism Resilience Awards fall under the stewardship of The Global Tourism Resilience and Crisis Management Centre (GTRCMC) – an international think-tank headquartered in Jamaica, with satellites in Africa, Canada, and the Middle East.

Founded by Minister Bartlett in 2018, the GTRCMC aims to help tourism stakeholders worldwide prepare for, manage and recover from a crisis. This is accomplished through providing services such as training, crisis communications, policy advice, project management, event planning, monitoring, evaluation, research and data analytics. The focus of the GTRCMC includes climate resilience, security and cybersecurity resilience, digital transformation and resilience, entrepreneurial resilience and pandemic resilience.

Kingston, Jamaica; Thursday, November 30, 2023: Minister of Tourism, Hon. Edmund Bartlett, today announced that a record 1.05 million airline seats have been secured from nearly six thousand flights coming into Jamaica out of the United States, during the upcoming winter season.

With just over two weeks for winter travellers to start their vacations, in anticipation of a record winter tourist season, Minister Bartlett says: “This surge in airlift represents an increase of 13 percent over winter 2022/2023, where we recorded a whopping 923,000 airline seats.” 

“To date, ten airlines have some 5,914 flights booked out of key US gateways to the Sangster International Airport in Montego Bay and Norman Manley International Airport in Kingston between January and April 2024, adding to the flurry expected over the 2023 Christmas holiday period,” Minister Bartlett explained.

The line-up of airlines for the period includes American with 305,436 seats booked on 1,727 flights; Southwest logging 106,925 seats on 611 flights; Delta with 205,776 seats on 1,119 flights; JetBlue with a total of 242,347 seats on 1,434 flights; United booking 92,911 seats on 525 flights and Frontier flying in with 25,482 seats on 137 flights.

Also contributing to the overall increase of 121,104 seats over the corresponding 2022/23 winter period are, Spirit, Sun Country and ALG Charter, with a combined 65,677 seats on 361 flights. Additional airlift is also slated to come from Caribbean Airlines flying out of New York. 

“These numbers reflect the ongoing effort of the Ministry of Tourism, through the Jamaica Tourist Board (JTB) as our marketing arm, working alongside our international and local partners in the travel and hospitality sectors, to ensure continuous growth in our tourism industry,” says Minister Bartlett. 

He also disclosed that “already for the period, January to November 29, 2023, preliminary figures indicate that some 2.5 million stopover visitors have graced our shores, accounting for an 18 percent increase over the same period in 2022 and a 10 percent increase over the same period in pre-pandemic 2019.” 

“If we continue on this impressive growth trajectory, we will be on track to meet our new projections of 4 million visitors and foreign exchange earnings of US$4.1 billion by year end,” asserts Minister Bartlett.

Kingston, Jamaica; Monday, November 27, 2023: Minister of Tourism, Hon. Edmund Bartlett, is set to represent Jamaica at the much anticipated 173rd General Assembly of the Bureau International des Expositions (BIE) in Paris, France. The BIE is the Intergovernmental Organization overseeing and regulating international exhibitions lasting more than three weeks, including World Expos, Specialized Expos, Horticultural Expos, and the Triennale di Milano.

Jamaica's accession to the BIE in February 2023 marked a significant milestone, with the country being granted full voting rights as of August 2023. The BIE General Assembly, scheduled for November 28, 2023, in Paris, is a significant event as member countries will vote to decide the host for World Expo 2030. The contenders include Rome, Italy; Riyadh, Saudi Arabia; and Busan, South Korea.

In highlighting the broader implications of the General Assembly, Minister Bartlett noted: “The BIE plays a crucial role in enhancing the quality of expos worldwide. Jamaica's active engagement underscores our dedication to fostering international collaboration in tourism and cultural exchange, even as we work to strengthen the meeting, incentives, conferences and exhibitions (MICE) sub-sector locally.”

Minister Bartlett's itinerary in Paris encompasses a high-level dinner engagement on November 27, the BIE General Assembly on November 28, and a reception hosted by the selected country for World Expo 2030, also on November 28.

Stressing the importance of Jamaica's involvement, Minister Bartlett said: "Our full voting rights signify Jamaica's recognition as a global thought leader and our commitment to contributing to the ongoing process aimed at improving international exhibitions. We are proud to have a voice in decisions that will shape the future of these significant events for years to come."

The tourism minister is scheduled to return to the island on Sunday, December 3, 2023.

Kingston, Jamaica; Monday, November 20, 2023: As Jamaica continues its robust economic recovery from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, Minister of Tourism, Hon. Edmund Bartlett, has again emphasized the importance of tourism diplomacy as a key driver in boosting investment in Jamaica’s tourism product and attracting sustainable growth opportunities to the country. Minister Bartlett made the disclosure following the recent inaugural CARICOM-Saudi Arabia Summit in Riyadh, where he played a pivotal role in leading discussions around resilience building and sustainability. 

The tourism minister formed a part of the delegation led by Prime Minister, the Most Hon. Andrew Holness, which participated in the summit alongside 14 heads of government from the Caribbean. Over three days, regional leaders engaged in high-level discussions with the Saudi Crown Prince, His Royal Highness Mohammed Bin Salman Al Saud, his cabinet ministers, and private sector stakeholders. The event marked a significant development in the geopolitical arena, forging new perspectives on investments and tourism.

It was noted that the summit follows the initial visit by His Excellency Ahmed Al Khateeb, Minister of Tourism for Saudi Arabia, to Jamaica in 2021, on the invitation of Minister Bartlett. Mr. Bartlett has also visited Saudia Arabia to continue discussions with Minister Al Khateeb and other stakeholders in a bid to forge a strong tourism partnership between both countries and fuel investments.  

Minister Bartlett said: "This summit is a testament to the power of tourism as a tool for not only tourism related investments but for peace and diplomacy. It brings together nations with diverse cultural and religious backgrounds, united by a common vision and an unwavering determination to improve the lives of their citizens."

During the summit, the Saudi Crown Prince, who is the visionary behind the Saudi Vision 2030, addressed tourism ministers, industry professionals, and leaders. He outlined the Kingdom’s strategic plan, which is aimed at reducing the Kingdom's reliance on oil, and places tourism at its forefront. Hosting World EXPO 2030 in Riyadh is a key aspiration, and the support from Caribbean nations is integral. 

The meetings on the sidelines of the summit saw Caribbean leaders engaging with private sector companies to explore investment opportunities. Minister Al-Khateeb underscored the Kingdom's commitment to positive and sustainable change. "The Kingdom, guided by its wise leadership, is capable of achieving global prosperity and development through international cooperation," he noted.

Reflecting on the potential for growth that has been unlocked as a result of the summit, Minister Bartlett added: "The meeting between Caribbean leaders and Saudi Arabia's private sector companies revealed promising opportunities. The Kingdom's thriving private sector aims to drive sustainable change, ensuring prosperity and development for not just local businesses but international ones as well. Saudi Arabia’s global outlook makes them the ideal strategic partner for small island developing states and tourism partners in the Caribbean."

LONDON, United Kingdom; Wednesday, November 8, 2023: A major international hotel group, Lopesan, with over 17,000 hotel rooms across Europe, Asia and the Caribbean, called on Minister of Tourism,  Hon. Edmund Bartlett and his team yesterday (November 7) at the World Travel Market (WTM) in London, United Kingdom, to announce that they are urgently seeking to develop a 1,000-room luxury resort on the island.

Bartlett was joined by the Chairman of the Jamaica Tourist Board (JTB), John Lynch and Senior Advisor and Strategist in the Ministry of Tourism, Delano Seiveright. Lopesan’s team was led by CEO Francisco Lopez and Director General of the Hotel Division, Jose Alba.

Bartlett expressed appreciation for the Group’s strong investment push and noted that development would generate over 2,500 direct and indirect jobs, and positively impact scores of farmers, manufacturers, small businesses and other stakeholders.

The news comes as the tourism sector prepares for the official opening of the recently renovated US$30 million Royalton White Sands resort in Trelawny next month. The sector is also preparing for the openings of two major resorts before summer next year – the first phase 1,000 rooms of the new Princess Resort in Hanover and the over 753-room new RIU Palace Aquarelle resort in Trelawny, creating around 2,500 new jobs.

The WTM London, one of the world’s largest tourism trade shows, facilitates £2.8 billion in industry deals and has some 5,000 exhibitors from 182 countries and regions and more than 51,000 participants.

LONDON, United Kingdom; Tuesday, November 7, 2023: Minister of Tourism, Hon. Edmund Bartlett is urging destinations to invest in their human capital development, which will be critical to the industry's future. Speaking at the World Travel Market's Ministers' Summit in London yesterday (November 6), Minister Bartlett highlighted that the future of the industry relies on its workers and their ability to innovate and create new ideas.

"Jamaica has always been a thought leader in driving human capital development because our most important resource in tourism is our workers. They are the ones who, through their high touch service and hospitality, have kept visitors returning at a 42% repeat rate and have become a core part of our growth strategy," said Minister Bartlett.

The Ministers' Summit at World Travel Market (WTM) was executed in association with the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) and the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) under the theme 'Transforming Tourism Through Youth and Education' and featured Tourism Ministers from across the globe. The Ministers gave their perspective on the importance of training and development of the youth in tourism and the various programmes being undertaken in their countries.

"Through our training and certification arm, the Jamaica Centre for Tourism Innovation (JCTI), we are training our high school students in fourteen colleges and tourism workers to become certified. Since 2017 over 15 thousand certifications have been awarded to Jamaicans in the areas of customer service, restaurant servers and executive chefs to name a few,” said the Minister of Tourism.

"If we train our young people, then they can be classified which will change the labour market arrangements to allow them to be rewarded based on merit and equity," he added.

The World Travel Market, one of the largest tourism trade shows, facilitates £2.8 billion in industry deals and has around 5,000 exhibitors from 182 countries and regions and more than 51,000 participants.

LONDON, United Kingdom; Tuesday, November 7, 2023: Minister of Tourism, Hon. Edmund Bartlett has set a new target to welcome 250,000 visitors out of the United Kingdom (UK) and Ireland by 2025. This follows on the heels of Jamaica being the number one Caribbean destination among UK visitors last year.

"Jamaica welcomed two hundred and twenty-nine thousand UK visitors last year, making it the number destination in the Caribbean for British visitors, and we plan to aggressively build on this number. With additional airlift with the upcoming Norse flights next month along with our other long standing airline partners, I am confident we will be able to meet this target," said Minister Bartlett. 

The announcement was made at an exclusive media event held at the Jamaica stand at World Travel Market (WTM) yesterday (November 6) in London. Bartlett is accompanied by Chairman of the Jamaica Tourist Board (JTB) John Lynch and Senior Advisor and Strategist in the Ministry of Tourism, Delano Seiveright. WTM London, one of the world’s largest tourism trade shows, facilitates £2.8 billion in industry deals and has attracted some 5,000 exhibitors from 182 countries and regions and more than 51,000 participants.

The new Norse Atlantic Airways service to Montego Bay is scheduled to begin in December, operating four times a week from London Gatwick. The island is already easily accessible from the United Kingdom through daily nonstop flights provided by Virgin Atlantic Airways departing from London Heathrow, British Airways departing from London Gatwick, and TUI departing from Birmingham, London Gatwick, and Manchester.

"We are truly grateful to be number one in the Caribbean for British travellers, and it is a testament to the hard work and dedication of the team. With this new target, it means pushing even more to achieve this goal and retain the number one spot," said Elizabeth Fox, Regional Director, UK and Nordics, Jamaica Tourist Board.

In the first half of 2023, Jamaica witnessed a significant increase in arrivals from the UK with a remarkable 69.2% surge in overall visitor arrivals compared to 2021. This growth has resulted in record-breaking earnings exceeding US$2 billion.

The island is poised to welcome over 3 million visitors by the end of the year with foreign exchange earnings of an impressive US$4.2 billion.

Kingston, Jamaica; Friday, November 3, 2023: Minister of Tourism, Hon. Edmund Bartlett, is set to depart the island on Saturday, November 4, 2023, for London, England, to participate in World Travel Market (WTM) London. The leading global travel tradeshow will take place at the ExCel London from November 6 to 8, 2023. 

In expressing his enthusiasm about the upcoming trip, Minister Bartlett said, “The World Travel Market is a crucial event for Jamaica's tourism industry. With England being the leading European market for visitors to Jamaica, it offers us a golden opportunity to strengthen existing partnerships, explore new collaborations, and showcase our beautiful island to the world.”

World Travel Market London is recognized as the most influential travel and tourism gathering globally. This year's WTM London event promises to be a significant platform for global travel and tourism professionals. It brings together travel experts, industry leaders, and government officials to discuss innovative ideas and strategies that will drive the industry forward. WTM London will welcome over 35,000 professionals from 184 countries, offering them inspiration, education, and valuable networking opportunities.

The tourism minister’s itinerary at WTM London is packed with activities aimed at advancing the interests of Destination Jamaica. On the first day, he will participate in the WTM Ministers’ Summit, which is being held in association with the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) and the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC). The summit will provide a platform for discussions on key global travel and tourism issues.

Following the summit, Minister Bartlett will meet with senior representatives of the Spanish-owned Hospiten Group, operators of the private Hospiten medical facility in Montego Bay.  The meeting with Vice President and CEO, Pedro Luis Cobiella Beauvais, and Corporate Commercial Communications and Marketing Director, Carlos Salazar Benítez, will explore opportunities for further collaboration in the medical tourism sector. 

Minister Bartlett will also take part in the ‘Jamaica is the Number One Destination’ Trade & Media Event, before concluding the evening with his attendance at the Global Travel Hall of Fame, where leaders in the travel and tourism industry will be honoured for their outstanding contributions to the industry.

On day two, Minister Bartlett will have a bilateral meeting with the Hon. Nabeela Tunis, Sierra Leone’s Minister of Tourism and Cultural Affairs. Both Ministers will discuss strategies to deepen tourism partnerships between the Caribbean and Africa.  The African market of 1.3 billion people is being eyed as the next big source market for tourists to Jamaica as the industry seeks to diversify beyond traditional markets in North America and Europe. 

Additionally, the tourism minister will participate in a Panel Discussion at the WTM Discovery Stage, contributing his insights on trends and innovations in the sector. He will also meet with major travel partners, including the TUI Group’s Sebastian Ebel, CEO, and David Burling, CEO of Markets & Airlines as well as Blue Diamond Resorts’ Jordi Pelfort, President, and Jürgen Stütz, SVP Sales & Marketing.

The final day of activities will see Minister Bartlett engaging in media interviews and press events geared at highlighting Jamaica's continued commitment to developing and offering a unique and competitive tourism product.

“WTM London brings together travel professionals from across the globe, making it the ideal platform for us to not only highlight our world-class offerings but also to discuss the latest trends and innovations in the travel sector. Our participation reinforces Jamaica's commitment to providing memorable travel experiences to visitors from around the world,” the tourism minister added. 

Minister Bartlett is scheduled to return to Jamaica on Thursday, November 9, 2023.

Kingston, Jamaica; Friday, October 27, 2023: Minister of Tourism, Hon. Edmund Bartlett, has announced that transactions on the Agri-Linkages Exchange (ALEX) platform have generated $1 billion in sales by small farmers. This as he also outlined that tourism loan disbursements through the National Export-Import (EXIM) Bank have also surpassed $1 billion for 2023. Commending the Tourism Enhancement Fund (TEF) on the strides being made, the tourism minister underscored the increased impact of the tourism value chain on Jamaican small businesses as a significant outcome. 

In expressing his delight, Minister Bartlett said: "We're very proud to share that the mid-year review of tourism’s performance indicates that we have reached the billion-dollar mark with market transactions on the ALEX platform. These are small farmers with 3-acre and 5-acre lots as well as backyard farming selling to local hotels and restaurants. So, we are excited about what is happening there in terms of the Jamaican tourism dollar penetrating to the small and medium tourism enterprises."

Minister Bartlett made the announcement during the Ministry of Tourism’s annual Strategic Planning Retreat, held at the Montego Bay Convention Centre from October 25-26, 2023.

The ALEX platform, a collaborative initiative between the TEF, a public body of the Ministry of Tourism, and the Rural Agricultural Development Authority (RADA), has revolutionized the interaction between hoteliers and farmers. 

The tourism minister noted that the platform has significantly improved the access small farmers have to procurement arrangements at hotels and restaurants throughout Jamaica, thereby enhancing the local agricultural landscape.

Minister Bartlett also added that: "Another signal of our strong performance is that we have reached the billion-dollar mark for disbursements for the year so far from EXIM Bank. When we add that to what has been disbursed since the programme’s origin, we have now disbursed over $2 billion to small and medium tourism enterprises across Jamaica. Four hundred and thirty-nine small companies have benefited from this programme."

The Small and Medium Tourism Enterprises (SMTE) loan facility, managed by the TEF and facilitated through the EXIM Bank, plays a pivotal role in enhancing the resilience and capacity of SMTEs in the tourism sector. This initiative has empowered business operators with access to financing of up to $25 million at an attractive interest rate of 4.5 per cent for five years.

Meanwhile, Minister Bartlett expressed optimism that as the sector continues to recover the tourism value chain will significantly impact more SMTEs. “This month of October is the best October in the history of Jamaica. We are now closing in on 200,000 visitors in the month of October and that is unprecedented as October is usually one of our slowest months,” he said. 

“September and October are when hotels would usually close off and people would go on leave and we would do refurbishing. This September and October, no such thing, the hotels have been active and the jobs are still there and strong, and earnings for the ordinary Jamaican have been strong as well," Minister Bartlett emphasized.

Kingston, Jamaica; Thursday, October 26, 2023: The Government of Jamaica (GoJ) has underscored its commitment to service excellence as a fundamental pillar of its prosperity agenda. The emphasis on high-touch service and unwavering dedication to quality service delivery was at the forefront as Minister of Tourism, Hon. Edmund Bartlett delivered the keynote address at yesterday’s (October 25) staging of the second annual GoJ Service Excellence Awards at the Spanish Court Hotel.

Speaking on behalf of the Prime Minister, the Most Hon. Andrew Holness, Minister Bartlett lauded the efforts of the Public Sector Modernization Division (PSMD) within the Office of the Cabinet for leading the charge in service improvement and implementing the Service Excellence Awards to acknowledge public-sector entities demonstrating outstanding performance in delivering quality services to citizens.

Highlighting the global impact of service excellence, Minister Bartlett said: "Service excellence enhances the competitiveness of a nation. In the global economy, countries that offer exceptional services attract foreign direct investment, stimulate economic growth, and create job opportunities. It's the hallmark of a nation's commitment to progress and prosperity."

"The sheer enormity of Government responsibility makes it critical that we take seriously the effective implementation of a framework of service excellence in the public sector that will provide quality in service delivery and enhance how we do business with the Government on a community, national, and international scale. Nation-building depends on it,” Minister Bartlett concluded.

Bartlett passionately asserted: "Service excellence is the backbone of Jamaica's thriving tourism industry and a key driver of profitability and growth. However, this is not by accident; we are continually elevating visitor satisfaction through high-touch service.” 

“In this age of social media and instant communication, every tourist's experience can influence countless others. Positive experiences result in glowing reviews and enthusiastic social media posts, amplifying Jamaica's brand value. On the other hand, poor service can damage the reputation of the entire industry,” the tourism minister added. 

He went on to describe high-touch service as "service from the heart" and underscored the importance of investing in people to deliver such service. "Recognizing that you have to invest in service delivery invites you to consider that the key driver of service excellence is people, and therefore, the investment must first be in building the capacity of people to deliver high-touch service," Minister Bartlett expressed. 

The Service Excellence Programme, launched by Prime Minister Holness in 2022, has placed service quality and reliability as the cornerstones of a more equitable and thriving society. The belief that consistent, high-quality services can enhance our standard of living, foster social cohesion, reduce inequalities, and, most importantly, build trust among citizens is driving this vision of excellence.

Cabinet Secretary, The Hon. Audrey Sewell, emphasized the significance of the event. She said, "This awards ceremony is a reminder that the Government is on a mission to enhance the lives of our citizens through enhanced government services. We must ensure innovation and efficiency in the delivery of world-class services. Our goal as the Office of the Cabinet is to foster an environment where excellence becomes the norm and not the exception in all government institutions."

The National Health Fund (NHF) was the big winner at this year’s awards, walking away with wins in four of the 10 categories which included: Operational Excellence, Public Education & Communication, Diversity, Equity & Inclusion, Website of the Year, Digital Innovation & Modernization, Customer Engagement, Customer Experience, Best Front Office Décor and the Service Excellence Award. The Registrar General’s Department (RGD), Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries & Mining, Ministry of Finance & the Public Service and Ministry of Education & Youth were the other winners.