DUBAI, United Arab Emirates; Wednesday, May 3, 2023: Minister of Tourism, Hon. Edmund Bartlett has underscored the need to boost resilience and sustainability in the global tourism industry by engaging players of all sizes in the tourism value chain. In providing a template Minister Bartlett outlined several initiatives being undertaken by the Ministry of Tourism and its public bodies to support small and medium tourism enterprises (SMTEs) while “holding them accountable to sustainable business practices aligned with industry standards.”

Speaking during a panel discussion on the margins of the Arabian Travel Market under the theme: “Strategic Sustainability Planning – Where Does the Supply Chain Start?”, the tourism minister said: “The essence of tourism as we know is the small and medium enterprises. They are 80% of the services and the experiences that visitors have when they come to the destination.”

Minister Bartlett also explained how the strategy and policy direction of the Ministry have been positioned to bolster Jamaican SMTEs.

“We spend a lot on training and developing the capacity of small players to be firstly, more creative and innovative and secondly, to be resourced financially. So, we established a JM$1 billion window for lending to small and medium enterprises through the EXIM bank in Jamaica,” stated the tourism minister.

Technology was further highlighted as a major tool being utilised by the Ministry of Tourism in its drive to build resilience and substantiality in tourism and connect the smaller players in the industry to the larger enterprises.

In stressing the success of the Tourism Enhancement Fund’s (TEF) Agri-Linkages Exchange (ALEX) initiative, Minister Bartlett added: “We established a platform called ALEX which connects the small farmers of 1 acre to 5 acres in deep-rural regions to purveyors and procurement officers in the hotels all across Jamaica. So, on their smartphones, they can work out prices and delivery systems that allow for produce to be brought directly from farm gate to hotel.”

Minister Bartlett also emphasized the collective responsibility of tourism stakeholders to protect the environment and renewed his call for the establishment of a global tourism resilience fund.

“Our objective in tourism must not be net zero but net positive. Tourism must now, in COP 28, make its voice heard that it has a plan to mitigate, adapt and enable recovery. So, a proposal for funding is important and there’s a need for the establishment of a tourism resilience fund voluntarily financed by each individual that travels,” Minister Bartlett noted.

Dubai, United Arab Emirates; Wednesday, May 3, 2023: Minister of Tourism, Hon. Edmund Bartlett has revealed that Jamaica is placing special focus on the world’s most populated country, India, as a nation to pull visitors from in coming years as part of a renewed campaign to diversify Jamaica’s tourist markets as he and his team pound the pavement at the Arabian Travel Market in Dubai, United Arab Emirates this week.

Jamaica gets the bulk of its visitors from the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom. 

“The Indian market initiatives are now fully on stream. We met with our partners and are beginning engagements later this year. There is a huge market for weddings, there is a confluence of cricket, a rapidly growing middle and upper middle class, over time better flight connectivity, and a very active Indian community in Jamaica itself will drive growth from this increasingly lucrative market,” Minister Bartlett noted.

Mr. Bartlett arrived in Dubai on the weekend for the Arabian Travel Market, the largest tourism tradeshow in the Middle East accompanied by Director of Tourism, Donovan White and Senior Advisor and Strategist in the Ministry of Tourism, Delano Seiveright.

Jamaica’s new markets initiatives was initially heavily focused on South America for which significant gains were made just prior to the COVID-19 pandemic with new nonstop flights by South America’s largest air carrier LATAM between Lima, Peru and Montego Bay, Jamaica and up to 11 weekly flights between Panama City and Jamaica by COPA. The Pandemic curbed those initiatives with Minister Bartlett now mandating his team to re-engage efforts.

The Ministry of Tourism and it’s marketing arm the Jamaica Tourist Board are now focused on rebuilding the South American tourist markets, with specific focus on Chile, Argentina, Colombia and Peru and are also placing special attention on India and sections of the Middle East for new market growth.

Bartlett’s Dubai itinerary includes a host of meetings, including with top government and private sector leaders as well as investors.

Among them: Krishna Rao, Founding Partner and Co-CIO at ARP Global Capital; COP28 President-designate, Dr. Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber; the G-77 and China Ministers of Tourism; Senior Vice President, Mastercard, Andrea Prazakova; UAE’s Minister of Economy, H.E. Abdulla Bin TouqAl Marri; Representatives from Emirates Airlines; and Vice Minister of Tourism, HE Ghada Shalaby of Egypt. Minister Bartlett will also participate in an International Travel and Health Insurance (ITIC) Ministerial panel and Resilience Council session.

KINGSTON, Jamaica, Monday, May 1, 2023: Jamaica’s effort to get a foothold in the lucrative United Arab Emirates (UAE) travel market gets a major push this week with Minister of Tourism, Hon. Edmund Bartlett travelling to Dubai to participate in the Arabian Travel Market trade show from May 1 to 4 and other key events.

The Minister arrived in Dubai on Saturday, ahead of starting a round of business meetings today (May 1) with tourism stakeholders and a series of interviews with leading media entities that have a wide reach into the business and travel markets.

“Our visit to Dubai is crucial to the inroads we have been making into this travel market and moves us a step closer to cementing relationships that have already been established. Our primary focus is on the lucrative Arabian Travel Market event and the World Free Zones Organization’s Annual International Conference and Exhibition (AICE 2023) currently being held in Dubai,” says Minister Bartlett.

The AICE is a premier event that brings together policymakers, industry leaders, investors, and experts from around the world to discuss the latest trends, challenges, and opportunities in the global free zones industry and is being held from May 1 to 3.

The event comes against the background of efforts by the government of Jamaica to expand its stake in free zones.

In the area of tourism, the internationally recognized firm Statista, projects that UAE’s travel and tourism market will produce revenue of US$1.28 billion this year “and we are making progress which should allow us to get a slice of that market,” says Mr Bartlett.

He also states that while Jamaica is spearheading this thrust, “our goal is to have the Sangster International Airport in Montego Bay serve as a hub for the Caribbean whereby travellers from the UAE will have the option of booking multi destinations and experience the varied and exciting cultural offerings of the islands in the region.”

Over the next five days, Mr. Bartlett’s itinerary includes a host of meetings, including with top government and private sector leaders as well as investors.

Among them: Krishna Rao, Founding Partner and Co-CIO at ARP Global Capita; COP28 President-designate, Dr. Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber; the G-77 and China Ministers of Tourism; Senior Vice President, Mastercard, Andrea Prazakova; UAE’s Minister of Economy, H.E. Abdulla Bin TouqAl Marri; Representatives form Emirates Airlines; and Vice Minister of Tourism, HE Ghada Shalaby of Egypt. Minister Bartlett will also participate in an International Travel and Health Insurance (ITIC) Ministerial panel and Resilience Council session.

Minister Bartlett returns to the island on Friday, May 12, 2023.

BLACK RIVER, St Elizabeth; April 28, 2023: Minister of Tourism, Hon Edmund Bartlett has revealed that an important administrative change is being made to the definition of local tourist attractions to facilitate them being licensed whether or not they charge an entry fee. The move is expected to give more Jamaicans greater access to various attractions across the island.

Minister Bartlett announced yesterday (April 27) that “an attraction is to be defined in a manner that will remove the requirement for an entry fee to be charged. Some entities may continue to charge an entry fee based on their operations, but it will be optional. Therefore, more Jamaicans will be able to enter local attractions and for those without an entry fee persons will be encouraged to make a greater effort to patronize the products and services provided by those establishments to ensure it is a win-win situation.”

The new definition is to be incorporated into the Tourist Board Act, which governs the operations of such facilities.

The announcement comes as Mr Bartlett leads an island wide tour to engage stakeholders and which coincides with a series of town hall meetings hosted by the Ministry of Tourism to facilitate national consultation on the Destination Assurance Framework and Strategy (DAFS). The tour moved along the South Coast this week and included stops at Lashings Beach Club, Lover’s Leap, Newell High School, the Lionel Densham Aerodrome and entailed the unveiling of interior streetscapes, which provide an augmented reality experience, in Black River, St Elizabeth. 

Tourism partners also participated in a special meeting of the St Elizabeth Destination Assurance Council at the Bennett Catherine Hall in Black River. A town hall meeting was later held at the Breds Treasure Beach Sports Park to continue public consultations on the DAFS.

Even as he focused on the need for safety and security not just in tourism spaces but all over the country, Mr Bartlett reiterated his position that “it’s zero tolerance now for disorder and indiscipline.” He said there should be no excuse for boorish behavior and giving in to threats of holding back votes. We as a country “must get to that point where our politics elevates us to a higher plane where order and respect, and regard for systems and laws, and morals and values are embraced.”

The Tourism Minister added that “unless we do that then the tourism industry, and any other industry that Jamaica will have will decline to naught.”

At the same time, however, he is also on a campaign to get more Jamaicans to invest in tourism and reap benefits from the booming industry. “Were moving to a new dimension in terms of the expansion and growth of tourism to create an economy in Jamaica that is going to be safe and solid and sound and offers an opportunity for good jobs, but great opportunities for entrepreneurship,” he said.

The Minister underscored that tourism now offered an opportunity for everyone to be able to tap into the wide and deep value chain “that embraces every element of human activity” and he told his audience, “in every element of your creative genius resides an opportunity for economic development.”

Mr Bartlett said for Jamaica to experience greater growth, tourism must move from the demand side of bringing the visitor in, to the supply side of “how we make the visitor happy and satisfied and spend every dollar that he brings with him. And in that whole process is the retention of the dollar in our own destination,” he stated.

FALMOUTH, Trelawny; April 25, 2023: Even as the development of the parish of Trelawny into a sought-after resort is progressing in earnest, Minister of Tourism, Hon Edmund Bartlett is expressing displeasure with the state of sections of the town capital, Falmouth.

Declaring that “we have to fix the town of Falmouth,” Minister Bartlett said a proper public education programme has to be carried out in the town to foster public order.

The Minister undertook an extensive walk through of the town recently and underscored the need for improvements to the area. He was emphatic that “the streets problem has to be dealt with and I am going to drive that force as much as we can to make sure that it is dealt with. You can’t have Jamaicans moving around trying to peddle their wares in a toxic environment.”

The walkthrough formed part of a tour of sites in Trelawny and its environs, including Old Folly; the Falmouth Cruise Terminal; Water Square; as well as the Trelawny Parish Church and ended with a meeting with stakeholders at Falmouth Mystic Lagoon Tours. The activities come amid efforts by the Ministry of Tourism and its public bodies to boost destination assurance across the island.

Minister Bartlett has committed to working with Mayor of Falmouth, Councillor Colin Gager and other stakeholders in making representation for the relevant agencies to step in and assist in improving the conditions as well as effecting urgently needed repairs to the historic town hall and court house which have been compromised by issues including aging. This has forced the relocation of the courtroom and offices of the municipality.

Mr. Bartlett also had discussions with representatives of the more than 227-year-old Trelawny Parish Church, one of the town’s historic landmarks, which he described as “an absolute treasure and an architectural delight but is now in state of disrepair and we have to deal with that.” It is also a major heritage attraction for visitors to Falmouth.

The Minister outlined that the Falmouth Cruise Terminal will be having larger vessels visiting, while Old Folly is receiving attention from the Tourism Product Development Company (TPDCo).  Following an examination of the area Minister Bartlett said steps would be taken for it to be enhanced even more.

TPDCo had erected a gazebo at Old Folly and added a few other elements, however, the Tourism Minister believes that given its amazing view, with further improvements, the location could become a major point of interest for visitors and fuel economic activity that will benefit the average Jamaican. TPDCo has been tasked with executing the additional improvement work.

He has also suggested that a private-public sector partnership for its maintenance similar to that embodied in a memorandum of understanding signed on Thursday for the upkeep of the Mammee Bay Waterwheel in St Ann, would be ideal for that location as well.

Giving a synopsis of development in Trelawny, Minister Bartlett said currently the parish had 4,000 rooms another 4,000 set to come on stream in the next five to ten years, including the reopening of the Braco Village. “We are in the process of fine-tuning an arrangement with the Ministry of Labour and Social Security, which owns the property, to bring Braco Village back in line and hopefully to have it back in operation by winter of 23/24,” said Mr. Bartlett.

Discussions are also ongoing for 1,000 new rooms in the first instance for Harmony Cove “and the arrangements are now fully advanced for the hotel to come on track,” stated Minister Bartlett. Likewise, he said the new Riu hotel will add 750 rooms next to Royalton and a recent discussion with TUI is expected to result in at least another 700 rooms in that location. On top of these, Minister Bartlett said villas are on the drawing board for Silver Sand and Duncans Bay.

MONTEGO BAY, Jamaica; April 25, 2023: The once famous Racquet Club hotel in Montego Bay has been demolished to make way for the construction of an 8-storey luxury condominium complex for which Minister of Tourism, Hon Edmund Bartlett broke ground over the weekend.

Mr. Bartlett welcomed the development as “the rebirth of the Racquet Club” and reminded that the Montego Bay Racquet Club Condominiums and Spa “comes with a rich history in tourism that may prove quite beneficial in the challenge to recapture that history while catering to that new breed of world travellers who journey across the globe in fulfilment of their passion and a quest for adventure.”

The original Racquet Club was a playground for international celebrities such as renowned movie stars Charlton Heston, Kirk Douglas and the former “queen of Hollywood” Elizabeth Taylor, as well as tennis greats Don Budge, Arthur Ashe and others.

The new Racquet Club is one of four projects – three in Montego Bay and the other in Kingston at a combined cost of J$8 billion, being developed by the Jamaican firm, Boria Ltd. Mr. Bartlett said it represented an opportunity for the facility to attract and maintain a new breed of travellers known as the “Digital Nomads that are high-end, that are senior officials in companies, are well positioned and high yielding.”

He also welcomed the social wellness aspect of the development which, according to Boria’s Founder and Chairman, Eugene Ffolkes Jnr, will be focused on health and wellness with a social wellness club featuring six courts for tennis and pickle-ball, a spa, two gyms and a café. There will also be a sky lounge and a swimming pool on the eighth floor.

Mr. Bartlett said “the low density condominium mixed-use development, wrapped in the modern technology and conveniences of the 21st century is the kind of statement that we want to have made about the new product offering of Destination Jamaica.”

He stated that building out capacity to continue the booming growth in tourism was important and in addition to the Montego Bay Racquet Club Condominiums and Spa, two other projects, one of them a 25-storey complex, are to be built in Montego Bay.  

“We want more Jamaicans to be investing in the tourism product; this is our product; this is our industry; we want to make sure that post-COVID tourism is inclusive and that inclusiveness means owning, managing and protecting your space and making your space safe, secure and seamless,” said Minister Bartlett.

Among other participants in the ground-breaking ceremony were Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of National Security and Member of Parliament for North West St James, Dr Horace Chang and Assistant General Manager and Chief Development Financing Officer for the Jamaica National Group, Carlton Earl Samuels.

Mammee Bay, St Ann. April21, 2023:  Minister of Tourism, Hon Edmund Bartlett yesterday lead in a ribbon cutting ceremony for the opening of the recently renovated ruin of the Mammee Bay waterwheel in St Ann, adding it to the many attractions in that parish.

Referring to the history of the waterwheel and its role in providing water for the Drax Hall sugar plantation during the colonial era, Minister Bartlett underscored the importance of preserving the country’s heritage while recognizing that monuments such as this one was built by our forefathers even though they laboured as slaves.

He also underlined the importance of heritage attractions to tourism, adding that attention would be given to even more across St Ann and the rest of Jamaica.

Significant features of the Mammee Bay waterwheel restoration include the fact that it was executed by the Tourism Product Development Company (TPDCo) in partnership with the National Water Commission, which contributed $3.4 million and the Jamaica National Heritage Trust with the support of the St Ann Municipal Corporation, the Urban Development Corporation and the National Works Agency.

Also, it is the first project of its kind to be implemented in a public-private sector partnership and has resulted in a memorandum of understanding being signed between TPDCo and Ocho Rios Jerk Centre to maintain the monument for the next five years.

Minister Bartlett hailed the signing of the MOU as “a signature statement that is being made about the new direction that we’re going with regards to the inclusion of community in the management of public spaces, and the tourism space in particular.”

He said the Ocho Rios Jerk Centre represented the first and the next would be in Negril where the community “has now coalesced around the need for Destination Assurance as a real driver of the quality experience which is safe, secure and seamless that we offer to the world, and we promise to our visitors and locals alike.”

He disclosed that this MOU would be replicated across the country “as we seek that partnership with private sector groups and as we own the public space.”

In his greetings, Minister without Portfolio in the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation, Senator Mathew Samuda, said the NWC contributed $3.4 million dollars to the project, and this was an indication of its commitment to providing adequate water to the parish.  Minister Samuda also announced a $500 million dollar water and sewage improvement programme for the parish of St Ann over the next three years.

The waterwheel restoration is being undertaken in phases and Minister of Culture, Hon Olivia “Babsy” Grange welcomed it “as a step in the right direction to preserve, promote and protect our national monuments that were left behind by our ancestors as symbols of our rich culture and our rich heritage.”

Supporting Minister Bartlett, she said although it was on property that played an important role in the enslavement of our ancestors who were brought here from Africa, who were considered property that was bought and sold, “we were the ones that built the waterwheel” so this was an important step in the memorialization of our past and the celebration of our heritage.”

Minister Grange said based on its location, the waterwheel had great economic potential as a heritage tourism attraction.

OCHO RIOS, St Ann, Jamaica; Monday, April 24, 2023: Minister of Tourism, Hon Edmund Bartlett is staging a relentless war against public disorder, which, he says, poses a real threat to safety within the tourism industry.

The need for order was central to a meeting with stakeholders and a town hall meeting hosted by the Ministry of Tourism recently as it took its National Consultation on the Destination Assurance Framework and Strategy (DAFS) to the people of Ocho Rios and St Mary.

The meetings were part of an extensive tour that started with a ribbon cutting ceremony for the newly renovated Mammee Bay Waterwheel ruin, followed by the Ocho Rios Cruise Terminal, Blue Hole and both the Pineapple Craft Market and the stakeholders meeting. The popular spot for White River Rafting is to be visited at a later date.

Espousing a tough stance, Minister Bartlett told his audience during the town hall meeting held at the Ocho Rios Baptist Church that while the tourism industry had bounced back and was exceeding projections with record levels of growth, disorder was a real threat that would not be tolerated.

He reiterated that tourism had become the driver of Jamaica’s economic development and belonged to everyone deserving of having the opportunity to earn from it “but they can’t get a slice of the pie if there’s disorder.”

Mr. Bartlett said all the components that make up tourism were owned by other sectors but that the industry gave visitors an assurance of safety and security that must be protected. Destination  Assurance should therefore be seen in the context of creating a framework which will guide all players in the industry and bring about harmony among them to operate seamlessly.

He suggested however that it was hard to do that with so many parts to the equation and each going in their own direction so the DAFS was attempting to “pull it all together” under one umbrella that provides the framework and strategy on how to operate with confidence.

Underscoring that tourism belonged to everyone, regardless of social status, Minister Bartlett stressed that “tourism can only operate in a space of order; if there is no order there can be no tourism and so this Destination Assurance Framework and Strategy is designed to enable order.”

He said, when in place, Jamaica will be the only country in the world to have a Destination Assurance Framework and Strategy.

The Tourism Product Development Company (TPDCo) has been charged as the guardian of Destination Assurance with the primary responsibility of monitoring, managing and providing the framework within which players in the industry operate.

The Minister noted that as the regulators, TPDCo will be monitoring areas where tourism assets exist “and where we are giving service to Jamaicans and foreigners and we are going to ensure that public order is maintained” and everyone is given a chance to benefit.

Mr. Bartlett also disclosed that there will be extensive training and: “In short order we are going to look at those in the informal space and bring them into the formal system,” stressing that “we not throwing out anybody.”

While expressions of important developments in tourism were made along the tour and during the meetings, several issues of concern to industry stakeholders in both St Ann and St Mary were pointed out and are to receive the requisite attention.

KINGSTON, Jamaica; Wednesday, April 19, 2023: Minister of Tourism, Hon. Edmund Bartlett has expressed optimism in the growth prospects for the sector stressing that “this is the biggest and best winter season Jamaica has ever had in the history of tourism” adding that the tourism industry was set on a path to continue the boom now being experienced.

He said: “For the January to March 2023 period, it is estimated that Jamaica welcomed 1.18 million visitors, which represents growth of 94.4% when compared to the same period in 2022. This represents earnings of US$1.15 billion, 46.4% above the US$786.8 million earned for the same period in 2022.”

In reviewing the performance of the tourism sector as he opened the Sectoral Debate in Parliament yesterday, Minister Bartlett noted that arrivals for 2022 were up by 117% and earnings by 71.4% when compared to 2021. Jamaica welcomed 3.3 million visitors and earned an estimated US$3.7 billion in 2022 and projections for 2024 are for US$4.1 billion in earnings.

He told Parliament that: “If there was ever an industry that has the potential to transform our nation, our communities and the lives and livelihoods of the Jamaican people for the better, it is tourism” adding that real gross domestic product (GDP) for the economy is projected to “grow within the range of 3.0% to 5.0% during January – March 2023 when compared to January – March 2022.” This growth is expected to be led by strong performances by the hotels and restaurants, and the mining and quarrying industries.

Minister Bartlett highlighted that in fiscal year 2023/24 GDP is anticipated to be driven by continued robust performance in stopover arrivals, facilitated by increased room capacity and intensified marketing efforts.

“Never before in the history of Jamaica has tourism made such a great contribution to the national economy and we are willing to contribute to that process and to make even greater contributions,” declared Mr. Bartlett, noting that “Jamaicans at all levels of society can enjoy a bigger slice of the tourism pie.”

Mr. Bartlett outlined that “investments continue to boom to drive the industry’s recovery (and) over the last five years tourism investment contributed 20% of the island’s total foreign direct investments (FDI) and over the next 5 to 10 years, there are multiple upcoming investment projects which will see the addition of 15,000 to 20,000 new rooms with investment of US$4 billion to US$5 billion.”

The Minister said stakeholders had been working together to build a tourism industry that was equitable, viable and which generates opportunities for all. He noted that “tourism will be the biggest driver of economic growth and prosperity in Jamaica for years to come and it is absolutely important that you are made aware of the work that we have been doing over the last year in repositioning the sector to achieve higher growth rates, a better spread of the benefits of tourism to each and every Jamaican and stronger linkages throughout the economic fabric of this beautiful island.”

WASHINGON DC, Friday, April 14, 2023: In a critical analysis of tourism and its importance to global economies, Minister of Tourism, Hon. Edmund Bartlett has made a universal call on international financial institutions (IFIs) to invest in ideas to build industry capacity for full recovery and inclusive growth.

Minister Bartlett was one of four notable climate finance panellists addressing the topic, “The Paris Agreement: Progress or Prevarication?” at the 2023 Global Inclusive Growth Summit in Washington D.C. yesterday (April 13).

Underscoring the industry’s importance, he said tourism remained the engine of economic growth, job creation and development in many countries around the world and was especially crucial to the livelihoods of undiversified island economies. Also, for the foreseeable future, tourism would continue to be a fundamental pillar of the world economy.

Noting that the tourism product in most parts of the developing world was heavily tied to the natural environment, Minister Bartlett likened tourism development to a two-edged sword, being both a victim of and a contributor to climate change.

He stated that “the growth, development and expansion of the tourism product quite often threaten environmental sustainability. Admittedly, among other resources, the hospitality industry uses substantial amounts of energy for providing comfort and services to its guests, typically with a low level of energy efficiency.”

With concerns about sustainability and social inclusion gaining traction, Minister Bartlett said the concept of sustainable tourism had emerged as a way to balance the economic, social and environmental aspects of the industry because of its close linkages to other sectors and its ability to create decent jobs and generate trade opportunities.

In that context, Minister Bartlett told the global summit that “A key aspect of tourism resilience is socio-economic resilience, which entails maximizing the tourism sector’s ability to promote social inclusion, economic diversification, and community engagement in tourism development. Sustainable tourism should contribute to poverty reduction, social cohesion and local community well-being, and reduce inequality and marginalization.”

He indicated that strategies for enhancing socio-economic resilience in tourism destinations should include “promoting local ownership and control of tourism resources, facilitating community-based tourism initiatives, providing training and capacity building opportunities for local communities, and fostering cultural preservation and heritage conservation.”

Also, Minister Bartlett pointed to environmental resilience as another key aspect of tourism resilience, adding, “This thrust recognizes that tourism and environmental resilience are intertwined as the sustainability of tourist destinations depend heavily on the health and preservation of natural resources and ecosystems.”

In that regard, he said that for its own long-term viability, the tourism sector needed to make environmental resilience a core focus and prioritize safeguarding the natural environment and mitigating the negative impacts of tourism on ecosystems and biodiversity.

Citing the need for coordination, strong actions, and political and financial support for tourism’s transition to greater inclusivity and sustainability, Minister Bartlett said this should reflect a societal approach incorporating internal and external stakeholders, including governments, businesses, local communities, NGOs, think tanks, academia, and travellers “to ensure that the tourism sector plays a critical role in mitigating climate change by adopting sustainable practices, investing in green infrastructure, promoting responsible tourism behaviours, and raising awareness among travellers.”

Arguing that meaningful collaboration and partnerships were required to develop climate-resilient infrastructure, promote nature-based solutions, and integrate climate risk assessments into tourism planning and management, Minister Bartlett said, “There is an urgent need for increased funding and investment to enable sustainable tourism practices and infrastructure,  including investments in renewable energy, green transportation, eco-friendly accommodation, and waste management systems that reduce carbon emissions, minimize environmental impacts, and promote sustainable resource use.”

Minister Bartlett spoke of the need also for greater research and innovation to develop new technologies, solutions, and best practices that can help the tourism industry adapt to climate change and reduce its carbon footprint.