Kingston, Jamaica; Monday, March 6, 2023: Minister of Tourism, Hon. Edmund Bartlett continues his quest of ensuring that Destination Jamaica and the tourism sector remain top of mind in international fora with his departure on Sunday to be a key participant in the much anticipated ITB Berlin Convention, now underway in Germany.

Having been impacted by the Coronavirus pandemic, this is the first face-to-face staging of the world’s biggest travel convention since the onset of COVID-19 and is planned to showcase decisive trends and provide unlimited opportunities for the travel business.

The Berlin Convention, which runs from March 7-9, is the leading travel industry think tank, attracting tourism professionals, key decision makers, the major buyers and sellers in the international travel trade. “As the global tourism sector continues to rebound from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic we are pleased to be able to attend ITB Berlin in person, and we will use this opportunity to further promote Destination Jamaica, strengthen existing partnerships and forge new ones as we seek to foster continued growth in the tourism sector,” Minister Bartlett said. 

The Minister’s participation will see him as the keynote speaker and panelist on the topic “New Narratives for Work in Travel.”

One of the highlights of Minister Bartlett’s participation sees him also giving the keynote address at an event celebrating Global Tourism Resilience Day following last month’s approval by the United Nations for the day to be observed each year. This after Jamaica’s efforts to bolster resilience in global tourism by proposing the official designation of February 17th as Global Tourism Resilience Day annually yielded great success.

Mr. Bartlett’s itinerary also includes a number of high-level meetings on subject areas such as the: “Global Employment Initiative,” new flights and other tourism developments. He will also participate in several media activities and programmes as well as a bilateral meeting with Minister of Tourism for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, His Excellency Ahmed Al Khateeb.

Additionally, Mr. Bartlett will be a special guest at the Pacific Area Travel Writers Association (PATWA) International Travel Awards.  At the ITB Convention in 2019, Jamaica was presented with PATWA’s award for destination of the year. The awards recognize individuals and organisations that have excelled and/or are involved in the promotion of tourism from different sectors of the travel trade and service providers related directly or indirectly to the industry.

Before returning home on Saturday, March 11, the Minister will also meet with members of the Jamaican Community at the Embassy of Jamaica in Berlin.

KINGSTON, Jamaica; March 06, 2023: Tourism Minister Hon. Edmund Bartlett says the tourism industry has undergone a significant transformation in the wake of COVID-19 and that its future success now depends on the ability of its workforce to create innovative and distinctive experiences.

The Minister made these remarks on Friday, March 3, 2023, at the inaugural Jamaica Centre of Tourism Innovation's Tourism Career Expo, hosted by the Tourism Enhancement Fund and the Tourism Product Development Company at the Montego Bay Convention Centre.

During his speech to the over 400 students in attendance, he took the opportunity to urge young Jamaicans to consider tourism as a promising career option, emphasising the importance of rethinking their perspective on the industry. Bartlett highlighted that the reimagined tourism sector is not only financially rewarding but also thrives on input from individuals with diverse skill sets and backgrounds, ranging from industries directly linked to tourism to those indirectly associated with it.

"We are inviting you to an industry that will give you an opportunity to realize your best self. It will enable you to innovate, to think, to act, and to also convert information, knowledge, and ideas into value added experiences. When you enter this tourism experience, which we are asking you to join, it is the beginning of a whole new development of yourself and an expansion of your capacity to do and to be," said Minister Bartlett.

The Minister stated that the post-Covid industry requires a diverse range of talents, including those in fields like nuclear science, robotics, and nanotechnology. He also stressed that the future of work in tourism will significantly transform the sector, as machine intelligence and the internet of things will revolutionise the way basic services are provided. He predicted that this transformation would eliminate 70% of informal activities in tourism that pay lower remuneration, paving the way for more skilled and higher-paying job opportunities.

"Because machine intelligence and the internet of things are going to change the way basic services are provided in tourism. You [the youth of Jamaica] are going to be the manipulators of these gadgetries that flow from the internet of things… Then 3-D technology is going to create opportunities for the reproduction of goods in a manner that is impossible for a human being to do. So, what then is the future for you in tourism? It is going to be for you to be the drivers of new experiences," said Minister Bartlett.

The recently concluded tourism career expo was an integral component of the JCTI's public education programme, which aims to provide internationally recognised certification for individuals interested in pursuing a career in tourism. In addition to certification, the JCTI, which is a department of the TEF, is responsible for raising awareness among Jamaican youth, including high school and college students, about the multitude of opportunities available in the tourism industry.

The main objective of the career expo was to broaden young Jamaicans’ understanding of the various job roles in tourism as well as introduce students to both traditional and non-traditional career paths. Furthermore, the event served as a platform to connect employers and professionals with prospective job seekers and interns, while also providing recruitment professionals and guidance counsellors with valuable information about available tourism jobs.

MONTEGO BAY, JAMAICA, Feb. 27, 2023 – Continuing to expand gateways and ease of access to the island for US travelers, Jamaica welcomed new nonstop air service from Denver International Airport (DEN) to Montego Bay’s Sangster International Airport (MBJ) with Frontier Airlines. In keeping with Jamaica’s warm island culture, the inaugural flight was celebrated with traditional festivities upon departure from the airport and arrival to the island.

The new flight, operating three times per week, will be the only non-stop service from the Denver market, opening this important region to the destination. The new service marks the third new launch with Frontier Airlines this week, with the airline inaugurating new flights from St. Louis on Thursday along with Chicago Midway expected today. In addition, Frontier Airlines will launch new service from Dallas in May which will bring the total number of gateways with Jamaica to nine.

“I am pleased to welcome this new service from Frontier as we continue to grow our partnership together, said Hon. Edmund Bartlett, Minister of Tourism. “It has been a banner week for Jamaica and the airline with our launches in St. Louis, Chicago, and Denver. It is a testament both to our strong partnership and the continued strong interest in Jamaica as a destination for U.S. travelers.”

“These new services will provide ever easier ways for our visitors to get to our shores and begin to connect with our rich culture and scenic adventures,” said Donovan White, Director of Tourism.

“Our growth in Montego Bay and across the island is unmatched,” said Daniel Shurz, Senior Vice President of Commercial, Frontier Airlines. “Our expansion to three popular American destinations provides tremendous opportunity for Jamaicans who are eager for even more convenient and affordable travel options. Furthermore, we are thrilled to bring additional tourism and economic impact to Jamaica through this new service which will allow even more travelers from the U.S. to enjoy the island’s stunning beaches, communities, and resorts.” 

In addition to a special welcome from Jamaica Tourist Board representatives at the departure gateway in Denver, the jet received a high-spraying water salute on the runway upon arrival from MBJ Airport’s Emergency Response Service firefighting unit. A Jamaican flag was flown from the cockpit, and disembarking passengers were greeted by officials from the Jamaica Tourist Board, Ministry of Tourism and the Jamaica Hotel and Tourist Association. In keeping with tradition, gifts were presented to the pilots and crew of the flights in appreciation of their service during welcome receptions to close out the festivities.

Frontier Airlines’ non-stop flights to Montego Bay from Denver and St. Louis three times weekly and Chicago one time weekly.

Please check https://flights.flyfrontier.com/en/flights-from-montego-bay for additional information.
 

For more information on Jamaica, please visit www.visitjamaica.com.

Kingston, Jamaica; Tuesday, February 28, 2023: Recognizing the tremendous contribution of the ocean to tourism development, Minister of Tourism, Hon Edmund Bartlett has called on global tourism stakeholders to play a leading role in adopting and encouraging more sustainable values, attitudes and practices that will promote healthy ocean and marine systems.

The call was made today by Minister Bartlett as he presented on “Resilience for Blue Economy” during the Caribbean Maritime University Port Royal Lecture Series. The Blue Economy is defined by the World Bank as “the sustainable use of ocean resources for economic growth, improved livelihoods and jobs, and ocean ecosystem health.” 

“To ensure that the tourism industry plays its part in contributing to ocean sustainability there needs to be seriousness of intent, purpose and action among tourism stakeholders at all levels to address industrial actions that harm ocean and marine resources,” declared Mr. Bartlett. He added that: “Such firm commitment to sustainable behaviours and practices is necessary to help preserve the enormous benefits of healthy marine and coastal ecosystems to the economic livelihoods and survival of billions of people globally.”

Mr. Bartlett underscored that there was a moral responsibility on all industries, especially those that significantly harness or exploit ocean and marine resources in their value chains, “to make greater efforts to protect fragile and gradually depleting ocean and marine systems that have become increasingly susceptible to man-made phenomena.” These, he said, included ocean pollution, shipping and transport, dredging, offshore drilling, deep-sea mining, over-fishing and the degradation of coastal and marine ecosystems linked to sea level rise and or global warming.

The Minister outlined that the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) has predicted that marine and coastal tourism will be the largest sector of the global ocean-based economy by 2030 generating some US$777 billion in global revenue and employing 8.6 million people.

Noting that small island developing states and other coastal nations were particularly reliant on coastal and marine tourism, Minister Bartlett cited that for the Caribbean, the industry accounts for a quarter of the total economy, and a fifth of all jobs. He drew attention to a 2016 study by the World Bank which estimated the economic value of the Caribbean Sea coastal and marine ecosystems at US$54.55 billion.

“Unfortunately, marine and coastal ecosystems are often threatened by tourism development,” said Minister Bartlett. He explained that the areas that attract tourists have been coming under increasing pressure from the damage and pollution caused by tourist facilities and the supporting infrastructure.

Against this background, he pointed out that the Blue Economy approach recognized and placed renewed emphasis on the critical need for the international community to address effectively the sound management of resources in and beneath international waters by the further development and refinement of international law and ocean governance mechanisms.

Minister Bartlett said: “It is my view that a Blue Economy approach where ecosystem services are properly valued and incorporated into development planning will further advance the transition of the tourism industry.” He explained that this approach would aid in “guiding tourism development and promoting lower impact activities, such as ecotourism and nature-based tourism, where the natural capital is maintained as an integral part of the process.” 

He posited that efficiency and optimization of resource use were paramount whilst respecting environmental and ecological parameters, including where sustainable, the sourcing and usage of local raw materials and utilizing where feasible “blue” low energy options to realize efficiencies and benefits.

Kingston, Jamaica; Monday, February 20, 2023: The historic Global Tourism Resilience Conference, which was held from February 15-17, 2023 at the University of the West Indies (UWI) Regional Headquarters in Kingston, Jamaica, ended with a major declaration recognizing the importance of building tourism resilience to safeguard the sustainability of the industry globally.

The declaration, among other things, formally recommends the establishment of a global tourism resilience fund to support tourism-dependent nations in periods of disruption. The fund was proposed by Minister of Tourism, Hon. Edmund Bartlett as global tourism stakeholders and policymakers commemorated the first official Global Tourism Resilience Day on February 17.

Outlining the ‘Kingston Declaration for Tourism Resilience and the Future of Tourism,’ Mr. Bartlett as host minister listed three recommendations adopted in the Kingston Declaration:

“1. To reignite global South - South relations using tourism as the driver beginning with Africa and the Caribbean and thereby promote mutual understanding, cultural exchange and sustainable economic growth in the tourism sector.

2. To establish a global tourism resilience fund that will provide support to individual destinations in responding to their own crises and disasters. Each country will manage their own Tourism Resilience Fund and employ the fund to enforce its tourism resilience, thus guaranteeing the sustainability of international travel and tourism.

3. To urge labour markets to reignite recovery that does not leave the tourism workers behind.”

The declaration outlined that the COVID-19 pandemic would always serve as a stark reminder “of the indispensable necessity to build tourism resilience” and that despite its reputation for being a highly resilient segment of the global economy simultaneously the industry would always be vulnerable to various internal and external shocks.

Also, having been actively engaged in promoting tourism resilience in the Americas, Africa and the Middle East, the work of the Global Tourism Resilience and Crisis Management Centre (GTRCMC) “revealed an urgent need to consolidate learnings and build resilient strategies that will enable us to prepare for the next major disruptions to the travel and tourism space,” the Minister noted.

The recommendations came out of the conference participants’ deliberations and recognition of the challenges facing the tourism industry and the importance of building tourism resilience.

In the closing session of what Minister Bartlett and others hailed as a very successful conference it was disclosed that the 2024 conference would be held in Málaga, Spain, which signed a communiqué with Jamaica’s ministry of tourism.

The signing of the document which encompasses various aspects of tourism development, has been described by Minister Bartlett as “a momentous occasion for us here in Jamaica and the Caribbean,” being the first time that an agreement of this nature has been formalized.

KINGSTON, JAMAICA; February 17, 2023: As global tourism stakeholders and policymakers commemorate the first official Global Tourism Resilience Day, Minister of Tourism, Hon Edmund Bartlett today issued a call for the creation of a global tourism resilience fund to support tourism-dependent nations in periods of disruption.

The call came as key players in tourism from around the world, including the Caribbean and Africa, devoted the third day of the first-ever Global Tourism Resilience Conference to continuing discussions on the: Road to Global Sustainability and Development.

Minister Bartlett expressed that “while we talk about building resilience for tourism we have to focus in the wider perspective on social, economic, political, health and security disruptions.”

However, he outlined that the most important of all was building human capacity to “predict, mitigate, manage disruptions when they arise, recover quickly and to thrive thereafter.”

He underscored the need to also build financial resilience while highlighting tourism’s responsibility in enabling highly tourism dependent countries “to be able to gain an insight into their own capacity to grow, to expand and to enjoy prosperity.” To this end, Mr. Bartlett made the call for the establishment of the special tourism resilience fund.

He said “we as an industry have the capacity to enable this fund to happen seamlessly because we are the most consumption-driven activity on planet earth.”

The Minister indicated that one way in which the fund could be financed is through a voluntary Resilience Tip given by the 1.4 billion consuming travellers and “that contribution stays in the recipient countries and build that fund to enable capacity for resilience.”

General Manager for the Caribbean, Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), Mr. Tariq Ali also underscored the importance of building tourism resilience. He warned that even as tourism was recovering from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic: “While we would like to see more economies diversifying, a high-performing tourism sector is needed to see further economic growth and recovery.”

He therefore warned that “we must be cautious while optimistic” as there were still several threats that could undermine achievements made so far.

KINGSTON, JAMAICA; February 16, 2023: The need to ensure the resilience of tourism, given its importance as a key driver of economic growth, has been highlighted by Former Prime Minister and Statesman-in-Residence at the PJ Patterson Institute for Africa-Caribbean Advocacy, University of the West Indies (UWI), The Most Hon. Percival James Patterson.

The former Prime Minister, who among other portfolio responsibilities also served as Minister of Tourism, was keynote speaker at today’s opening session of the African Caribbean Tourism Summit at the inaugural Global Tourism Resilience Conference, being held at the UWI Regional Headquarters, Mona.

Mr. Patterson highlighted opportunities arising from the industry and the importance of building on the historical link between the Caribbean and the African Diaspora. Mindful of the era pre and post the COVID-19 pandemic, he said there was absolutely no doubt to the urgency of pushing forward with mobilising the African and Caribbean Diaspora in the fields of trade, investment, science, sport, culture and entertainment.

In that regard, Mr. Patterson said “to find lasting economic solutions we must look to one of the key drivers of growth, tourism, and we must do so across Africa, the entire continent, and in the Caribbean.”

With the decline of most traditional crops in Africa and the Caribbean, “tourism has become, for most of us, the cornerstone on which we are endeavouring to build sound economies (and) given its magnetic link to agriculture, to manufacturing and the inseparable connections with the creative industries, entertainment and services, tourism has become the pillar on which sustainable growth and accelerated development must now depend,” noted Mr. Patterson.

He also noted that African countries possessed varied appeals. Mr. Patterson outlined that with proper planning and effective marketing there would be a growing demand to visit African destinations and this could benefit the Caribbean through shared vacations and with the creation of a fertile ground for people-to-people contact and increasing airlift and charter flights between both regions.

He posited that the strengthening of South-South collaboration for growth in tourism rested on the two inextricably linked pillars of training and technology. With the pandemic having put greater pressure on the tourism sector with the loss of workers, Mr. Patterson stressed that “the skillsets needed to push the industry forward require training quickly and intensively.” He indicated that this was an area in which Jamaica and the Caribbean could offer support to African countries now building and expanding their tourism industry.

While sharing similar concerns, Minister of Tourism, Hon. Edmund Bartlett noted the serious damage inflicted by the pandemic on Africa adding that with the continent looking to tourism to drive recovery, the Caribbean was in a position to help.

“They are the new frontier for they are learning the art of entertainment and utilizing the culture to add value to their economic well-being, and the Caribbean can help,” stated Mr. Bartlett. He said: “We can also be the bridge head to the richest and most lucrative market for tourism in the world, North America.”

The historic Global Tourism Resilience Conference is being attended by several tourism ministers from African and Caribbean countries and Minister Bartlett, who co-chairs the Global Tourism Resilience and Crisis Management Centre, said the Caribbean partners should use the conference “as a platform for the beginning of that convergence that will bring Africa and the Caribbean together to move into the market that they want.”

He noted, however, that while Africa was open to receiving more, the Caribbean also had the capacity to receive even more from Africa and the conference would explore how there could be a full interchange and create areas of convergence in various aspects of tourism activities.

GTRCMC to Develop Resilience Barometer -  Bartlett                     

KINGSTON, JAMAICA; February 15, 2023: Prime Minister, the Most Hon. Andrew Holness has underscored the need to strengthen linkages between tourism and other sectors to enhance the resilience of tourism and boost economic growth globally.

The Prime Minister said: “Tourism acts as a catalyst for economic growth and development mainly through its induced economic impact through the creation of vital linkages with several other segments of national economies… As part of building the sustainable and resilient tourism which we all want, these linkages must be strengthened and the net value added to local economies from tourism enhanced.”

The Prime Minister was giving the keynote address at today’s opening of the three-day Global Tourism Resilience Conference being hosted by Jamaica at the University of the West Indies (UWI) Regional Headquarters in Kingston. His comments come even as Jamaica continues to lead the charge through the work of the Tourism Linkages Network (TLN), a division of the Tourism Enhancement Fund (TEF), which has been strengthening tourism linkages across Jamaica.

He told his international audience of Ministers of Tourism, senior executives in the industry and sector partners that: “Given its tremendous global contribution, there is a clear case to be made for the tourism sector to be protected as a global asset.”

Mr. Holness drew attention to the fact that: “The sector is increasingly exposed to volatility and disruptions arising from a range of both traditional and non-traditional threats, including natural disasters, climate change and global warming, terrorism, insecurity and political instability, cyber vulnerabilities, economic recession, epidemics and pandemics; indeed, tourism is affected by almost every global shock.”

Boosting the resilience of the sector is a major thrust of the conference, which is being spearheaded by the Ministry of Tourism and the Global Tourism Resilience and Crisis Management Centre (GTRCMC).

According to Prime Minister Holness, “the Government of Jamaica is proud to endorse this crucial forum that will provide a platform for fruitful engagement among stakeholders, policymakers, industry leaders, innovators, scholars, and researchers from all fields.”

Prime Minister Holness stated that the COVID-19 pandemic had underscored the importance of a proactive, cross-cutting approach to building resilience across the entire tourism value chain. “This entails integrating the latest research findings, innovations and technology to create sustainable tourism practices. It requires a shift to more sustainable consumption, production and energy use practices,” he said.

Meanwhile, speaking in a fireside chat with Peter Greenberg of CBS News, Minister of Tourism, Hon. Edmund Bartlett revealed that the GTRCMC will be developing “a resilience barometer” to be able to measure the level of resilience of countries, organizations and companies. “This is very important because that’s going to give valuable information for huge management decision-making, also for investment decisions,” he said. It will also be relevant to tourists, providing information on when to travel and where to travel and how to prepare themselves for their intended destinations.

Minister Bartlett explained that developing the barometer was a big task and a lot of work had already gone into it “but we have to do much more and we need to get a lot of help also from some of our multi-lateral partners because this is not something the university here and us alone can do.” He said experiences will have to be pulled from many parts of the world adding that “we will have to draw on the talent, skills and knowledge as well as data that is now available to get a good sense of what are the key touch points and how do we prepare a document which enables people to follow clearly and to be able to act properly.”

KINGSTON, JAMAICA, February 14, 2023 – The historic, first-of-its-kind Global Tourism Resilience Conference, taking place in Jamaica this February 15-17, 2023 will feature a well-rounded roster of high-profile panelists and moderators who will be participating in the event.

Headlined by the Prime Minister of Jamaica, the Most Hon. Andrew Holness, the conference is gearing up to showcase some of the best minds on tourism resilience and sustainability, investment and economic development.

Some of the expert speakers include Former Prime Minister of Jamaica, the Most Hon. Percival James Patterson, who will be the keynote for the African Caribbean Tourism Summit segment of the conference on February 16.

Kingston, Jamaica; Monday, February 6, 2023: Jamaica’s efforts to bolster resilience in global tourism by proposing the official designation of February 17th as Global Tourism Resilience Day annually has yielded great success, as the United Nations (UN) officially ratified the move to facilitate its observance globally today (February 6).

Minister of Tourism, Hon Edmund Bartlett has been a global voice advocating for tourism resilience as a means of safeguarding the sector during times of crises that negatively impact the industry, such as the COVID-19 pandemic.

In welcoming the UN’s decision Minister Bartlett said: “This is a signal honour for Jamaica which highlights the fact that our nation continues to have such significant influence on the international stage. This is very timely as the devastating impact of the COVID-19 pandemic is still being felt and is causing a strain on many tourism-dependent states as they struggle to recover.”

Minister Bartlett, who made a presentation on Global Tourism Resilience during the UN General Assembly meeting at the UN headquarters in New York today, added that: “Global Tourism Resilience Day emphasizes the importance of building tourism resilience across the world to fuel sustainable growth and development.”

He underscored that “this observance will aid in increasing the awareness and actions of global tourism stakeholders towards boosting the industry’s capacity to effectively handle and recover swiftly from major disruptions, such as pandemics, earthquakes and other natural disasters.”

Minister Bartlett has been playing a leading role in promoting the need for tourism dependent states in particular, to be prepared for inevitable internal and external shocks and to have a body that they can look to for support that will aid them in recovering quickly. To this end he has spearheaded the Global Tourism Resilience and Crisis Management Centre (GTRCMC) and co-authored with University of the West Indies Professor Lloyd Waller, the book: Tourism Resilience and Recovery for Global Sustainability and Development: Navigating COVID-19 and the Future.

The designation follows months of high-level discussions and diplomatic engagements. Minister Bartlett, officially launched Global Tourism Resilience Day during EXPO2020 Dubai in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on February 17, 2022. In September 2022 Prime Minister The Most Hon. Andrew Holness also called for the official designation of February 17 as Global Tourism Resilience Day annually as he addressed the 77th Session of the United Nations General Assembly.

Jamaica will officially recognize Global Tourism Resilience Day during the first ever Global Tourism Resilience Conference, which will be held from February 15-17, 2023 at the University of the West Indies (UWI) Regional Headquarters in Kingston, Jamaica.

While in New York, Mr. Bartlett will also fulfill a packed schedule of high-level tourism marketing and development engagements before returning to the island on Tuesday, February 7, 2023.