KINGSTON, Jamaica; September 12, 2019: Tourism Minister Hon. Edmund Bartlett has announced that the Global Tourism Resilience and Crisis Management Centre (GTRCM) will be establishing satellite centres in Kenya, Seychelles, South Africa, Nigeria, and Morocco to expand their reach within the continent.

This agreement emanated from discussions held in the margins of the 23rd session of the UNWTO General Assembly, currently taking place in St. Petersburg, Russia.

The Satellite Centres will focus on regional issues and will share information in Nano time with the Global Tourism Resilience and Crisis Management Centre. They will then function as think tanks to develop possible solutions.

Each Minister has the responsibility of identifying a university in their respective countries, to collaborate with the University of the West Indies and by extension the Global Tourism Resilience and Crisis Management Centre.

Relevant memoranda of understanding are also being finalized to facilitate this agreement, beginning with the satellite Centre in Kenya.

This comes on the heels of President of the Republic of Kenya, His Excellency Uhuru Kenyatta’s assumption as Honorary Co-Chair of the GTRCM for Africa last month.

President Kenyatta joins the esteemed ranks of Prime Minister Andrew Holness and Marie-Louise Coleiro Preca, former President of Malta, who are also GTRCM honorary co-chairs.

The Governments of Jamaica and the Republic of Kenya also recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to broaden cooperation in tourism. Among the many areas listed in the framework for cooperation are the promotion of safe, ethical and sustainable tourism; collaboration on addressing risk related to tourism resilience and crisis management, through research and development, policy advocacy and communication management, and training and capacity building.

While in Russia, the Minister has been championing the efforts of the GTRCM.  He used his platform to address the General Assembly to speak about the disruptions in the Caribbean, with particular focus on the Bahamas and its recent experience with Hurricane Dorian. His speech was welcomed by the UNWTO General Assembly, which in turn has expressed solidarity with the government and people of the Bahamas.

The Global Tourism Resilience and Crisis Management Centre, which was first announced in 2017, operates in a global context that is characterized by not only new challenges, but also new opportunities for tourism in an effort to improve the tourism product as well as to ensure the sustainability of tourism globally. The ultimate purpose of the Centre is to assist destination preparedness, management and recovery from disruptions and/or crises that impact tourism and threaten economies and livelihoods globally.

The Minister and his delegation are expected to return from Russia on September 14, 2019.

KINGSTON, Jamaica; September 11, 2019: Tourism Minister Hon. Edmund Bartlett says the development of the herbaceuticals sector is also a priority activity within the Tourism Linkages Network of the Ministry Of Tourism, with a national research project currently underway.

The Minister made this statement yesterday, during his participation in a High-level Forum on Medical and Health Tourism, at the twenty-third session of the General Assembly United Nations World Tourism Organization in St. Petersburg, Russia.

“The ongoing research is geared primarily towards exploring the awareness, knowledge and perception of the Jamaican public on the existence and usage of ‘Herbaceutical’ products.

The overall purpose of this study is to explore and locate areas of opportunity, whereby the Government can act on reliable information to design and implement policies and programmes to develop a more robust herbaceutical industry,” said Minister Bartlett.

Research has shown that of the 160 plants known and declared worldwide to have medicinal properties, 80 of these plants are endemic to Jamaica. The term ‘Herbaceutical’ is to be used here to categorize products such as food, cosmetics and medicinal products consisting of a substance produced by the process of drying, crushing or mixing of plant materials.

He noted that “with the use of ‘Herbaceuticals’ as a medicinal alternative among the populace becoming a growing trend in developing countries and with limited publications/ research on the phenomenon, the research will support informed policy making that takes into accounts the views of all relevant stakeholders.”

In April of this year, the Health and Wellness Network of the Ministry of Tourism also partnered with a local research and development lab to organize a Natural skincare product workshop to engage members of the spa, physiotherapy and dermatological community on the use of plant-based ingredients in the development of natural products and its use in economic growth.

“In keeping with its objective to develop the framework for the expansion of Jamaica’s health and wellness tourism product, we remain committed to ensuring a credible and safe health and wellness tourism product through developmental initiatives that enable practitioners to align services with national standards,” said the Minister.

The Minister and his delegation are expected to return from Russia on September 14, 2019.

KINGSTON, Jamaica; September 07, 2019:  Tourism Minister Hon. Edmund Bartlett says he is heartened by results of a new study by the Bloom Consulting, which shows Jamaica entering the top-ten tourism country brands in the Americas for 2019-2020, moving up five places since the last assessment.

“I am very proud of the continued improved positioning of Jamaica’s tourism product globally and particularly the recent Bloom Consulting positioning, which has given Jamaica a premiere place in the Americas,” said Minister Bartlett.

The top-10 ranked countries in the Americas from first to 10th place are the United States, Mexico, Canada, Brazil, Costa Rica, Peru, Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic, Argentina, and Jamaica.   Jamaica ranks 52 out of 198 destinations.

Bloom Consulting is a firm, which specializes in nation branding and city branding. Since 2003, the company has developed Nation Branding and City Branding strategies for various local and national governments around the world, collaborating with government officials, heads of tourism boards, and directors of investment agencies.

According to the consulting company, their ranking “not only measures perceptions and appeal of a tourism-specific Country Brand, but also classifies its relative branding performance in a tangible and realistic manner.”

Their algorithm for this ranking comprises four key variables, including the economic performance of a country’s tourism sector, its online performance, as well as digital measurements, to present an accurate and objective Brand Ranking.

“I am particularly pleased that we are included in this list for our economic performance. I am extremely pleased that our earnings have grown exponentially and whilst we make projections for US$5 billion over 5 years, we are seeing the kind of increases that makes us feel confident that we will achieve those targets,” said the Minister.

The study states that the Caribbean region experienced strong growth “despite being hit by violent hurricanes in the summer of 2017.” Sharing also that, “Jamaica must be congratulated for reaching a higher Country Brand Strategy Rating and being able to stabilize its tourism receipts thanks to prioritizing its Country Brand given the strong competition in the area.”

The Minister shared that the positive ranking is a result of the hard work being done by the Ministry of Tourism and other local stakeholders.

“I want to use the opportunity to congratulate my team, the sector, and the stakeholders who have all been working so hard. Over the last three years, Jamaica has distinguished itself as a leader in so many areas. We have grown our arrivals against the background of our projections of our five-pillar strategy – which is to increase arrivals to five million in five years and earn $5 billion,” said the Minister.

He also added that, “I think that all of us as a nation need to feel justly proud that we have built an industry that is truly supportive of our economic goals and is a great contributor in job creation and inclusive growth.” 

KINGSTON, Jamaica; September 06, 2019: Tourism Minister, Hon. Edmund Bartlett departs the island tomorrow to participate in the 23rd Session of the United Nations World Tourism Organization’s (UNWTO) General Assembly in Saint Petersburg, Russia.

During his visit, the Minister will discuss plans for Jamaica to host the UNWTO Regional Commission of the Americas (CAM) meeting as well as a Global Conference on Innovation, Resilience and Crisis Management, in May or June of 2020.

Jamaica was successful in its bid for the Chairmanship of the UNWTO Regional Commission of the Americas (CAM) for the biennium 2019 – 2021. 

“Jamaica is very excited to host members of the CAM for this very important meeting next year. We are also very pleased that it will give fellow members an opportunity to learn more about our Global Tourism Resilience and Crisis Management Centre, which will play host to this meeting,” said Minister Bartlett.

The Global Tourism Resilience and Crisis Management Centre, which is located at the University of the West Indies in Jamaica, is dedicated to assisting with preparedness, management and recovery from disruptions and crises that impact tourism and threaten economies and livelihoods.

The Minister also shared that he will use his visit in Russia to lobby for more support for Bahamas, immediate past chair of the UNWTO Regional Commission of the Americas, following the damage caused by the passing of hurricane Dorian.

“While in Russia I will be presenting the case overall for further collaboration with the Global Tourism Resilience and Crisis Management Centre in relation to dealing with Caribbean vulnerabilities. In the process, I will be supporting the Bahamas in their own recovery efforts.

I will be partnering with Minister of Tourism for the Bahamas, Hon. Dionisio D'Aguilar, to ensure that a full appreciation for the extent of the damage in the area, and the extent of support that is required is realised by all of the partners,” said the Minister.

All 156-member states are expected to be in attendance in Saint Petersburg, Russian Federation for the General Assembly, which is the supreme organ of the UNWTO.  Its ordinary sessions are held every two years and are attended by delegates of the Full and Associate Members.

The General Assembly is the most important meeting of senior tourism officials and high-level representatives of the private sector from all over the world. It is the principal gathering of the UNWTO and meets to approve the budget and programme of work and to debate ‎topics of vital importance to the tourism sector.

Minister Bartlett is expected return to the island on September 14, 2019.

MONTEGO BAY, St. James; August 15, 2019: Minister of Tourism, Hon Edmund Bartlett has indicated that Jamaica is taking note that the potential global economic downturn and sargassum phenomena are real threats to the tourism industry.

"We recall the recession of 2008 that impacted economies globally and recognize the need to strategize in light of data and trends. Despite this global recession, Jamaica's tourism grew by an average 3.5% and we will need to learn from those lessons," said Minister Bartlett.

There is general concern that the global economy may be on the verge of a slight downturn and possible recession. There is also concern regarding sargassum, which is a type of seaweed that can negatively impact tourist destinations when washed up on shore. 

Minister Bartlett said, “The possibility of a global economic downturn can have a devastating impact on not only Jamaica’s tourism but the region’s tourism. Coupled with this potential threat is now the impending influx of sargassum on our shores. What this means is that we must act decisively and swiftly to collaborate on the best way forward to get ahead of these threats.” 

Minister Bartlett was speaking at a meeting with members of the Jamaica Hotel and Tourist Association (JHTA) today at the Montego Bay Convention Centre, to discuss the threat of sargassum on the island’s tourism. The meeting included senior officials from the Ministry and its agencies, key hotel stakeholders and President of the Caribbean Hotel and Tourist Association.

“This meeting with our hotel partners is critical as we seek ways to develop economic resilience. These threats have the potential to negatively impact our livelihoods given the fact that the Caribbean is so heavily dependent on tourism.

Last year, the Caribbean welcomed 29.9 million visitors and contributed 40% of the region’s GDP but if we do not act, we could see our growth in arrivals and earnings go down,” added Minister Bartlett.  

Minister Bartlett also used the opportunity to have partners from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) make a presentation on their suggested strategy to cut off the sargassum prior to it reaching our shores and to get feedback from hoteliers.

President of the JHTA, Omar Robinson also highlighted the need to urgently identify solutions to “mitigate against any potential fallout this could have on our tourism product.” 

Minister Bartlett added that as it relates to sargassum, “The Global Tourism and Crisis Management Centre (GTRCM) is leading the charge to collaborate and conduct research to come up with workable solutions. Earlier this week, the GTRCM also met with the United Nations Division for Ocean Affairs and the Law of the Sea, to explore future collaboration regarding research on the sargassum challenges faced by the Caribbean towards identifying solutions.”

Minister Bartlett, through the GTRCM, recently spearheaded a regional sargassum forum which included mechanical engineers from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Precision Engineering Research Group; and noted researchers from the University of the West Indies, Mona and the GTRCM. 

On October 9 and 10 of this year, the GTRCM will host a second summit with leading researchers geared towards climatic disruptions with a focus on sargassum.

KINGSTON, Jamaica; August 14, 2019: In the past six years, some 3900 youth have benefitted from the Tourism Enhancement Fund’s (TEF) Summer Internship Programme (SIP), which introduces participants (between 16-25 years) to the world of work and assists them with gaining professional experience. 

This year’s internship programme gave some 649 high school and tertiary students the opportunity to intern in tourism and non-tourism fields at 90 private and public sector entities across the island. In addition, TEF collaborated with Jamaica Association for the Deaf to place 10 hearing impaired students.

Speaking to a packed house at the programme’s closing ceremony, Minister of Tourism, Hon. Edmund Bartlett told the interns that their postings would have given them a “very practical and hands on appreciation  of the many moving parts that must come together seamlessly to create the tourism experience that we sell to the world.”  The ceremony took place today at the Courtleigh Auditorium in New Kingston.

Noting that some interns may have wondered in the process how significant their jobs were to tourism, Minister Bartlett explained the five pillars essential to tourism growth (new products, new markets, new investments, development of human capital and new partnerships) and the importance of partnerships  that bring the many moving parts of tourism together.

“You may wonder why you went to a paramedical facility to work. Because we are involved in creating three key S’s that are important to those five pillars – safety, security and seamlessness. So, to enable safety and have an understanding of safety you now have to go where the providers of safety reside. And it’s not just the police but the hospitals,” said the Tourism Minister, noting that health security is a critical part of the Destination Assurance that makes Jamaica a place where people want to go to.

“So we need trauma centres and we need proper clinics, trained nurses that can respond quickly and the best doctors. We also need the best equipment for medical care.  So you see just within the sphere of medicine – another moving part – how we are securing the safety of our visitors,” Minister Bartlett continued. 

He pointed out that the providers of security and the creation of a seamless system through connectivity were equally important to tourism’s proper functioning and success.

“These are what cause tourism to happen and so therefore when we do these summer internship programmes it is to expose you to these areas that are not in the hotels where traditionally you see tourism. We deliberately didn’t post you at hotels for that purpose  so you understand how broad, how extensive, how inclusive tourism is; how deep and wide the value chain of tourism is; and how when you train in all these various disciplines you are really preparing yourself to give service,” he said.

He noted that the focus of SIP is customer service and service excellence, which is part of the broader policy of the Ministry of Tourism concerning human capital development and as part of professionalizing the tourism sector through the Ministry’s educational arm, the Jamaica Centre of Tourism Innovation.

This year, interns were taken through formal training in customer service, business and office etiquette and leadership development with special focus on Guest Service Gold Tourism for which they will be certified. This certificate course was offered in partnership with the American Hotel and Lodging Educational institute (AHLEI).

NEW YORK, NY – August 12, 2019 – Minister of Tourism Hon. Edmund Bartlett has extended an invitation to actress Kerry Washington and her family to come to Jamaica for a family getaway during her next shoot break. The Minister, who was special guest at the Jamaica Independence gala, had high praises for the Emmy and Golden Globe nominated American born actress, who is of Jamaican descent.

She was honoured with an ‘Artistic Achievement Award’ at Jamaica’s 57th Independence Black Tie Gala, held at the Hilton Westchester Hotel in Rye, New York on Saturday, August 10. While Ms. Washington was unable to attend in person to accept the award, Minister Bartlett conveyed the special invitation to Kerry by way of her parents and lauded her for the contribution she has made as part of the Jamaican Diaspora, which has helped to propel and promote Jamaica not just in the United States but globally.

Mr. Bartlett told the gathering that Ms. Washington through her trailblazing artistic endeavours has made a significant contribution not only to tourism in Jamaica but by extension brand Jamaica.

In a letter read by her parents, Ms. Washington noted her appreciation for the award and was humbled to have been considered for the recognition. She thanked the organizers, expressing regret that she was unable to attend in person to accept the award, reiterating that “I AM JAMAICAN” to enthusiastic applause. 

Kerry’s career took flight in 2004 when she appeared as Della Bea Robinson, the wife of musician Ray Charles, in the biopic Ray.  She won “Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture” for Ray at the NAACP Image Awards in 2005. Washington is best known for her portrayal of Olivia Pope in the ABC TV drama Scandal – that has earned her several Emmy, Screen Actors Guild (SAG) and Golden Globe nominations. She is also known for portraying lawyer/academic Anita Hill in the 2016 HBO film Confirmation, which she executive produced under the banner of her production company Simpson Street. Last year, Washington starred on Broadway in ‘American Son,’ which is now a motion picture to premiere on Netflix in fall of 2019.

KINGSTON, Jamaica; August 9, 2019: Minister of Tourism, Hon Edmund Bartlett, leaves the island today to meet with the United Nations’ division of partners and other potential tourism investors in New York.

In outlining the significance of the meetings with these stakeholders, Minister Bartlett said, “The visit to New York is to accomplish a number of things. Among them is my meeting with the United Nations’ division of partners to discuss the relationship with the Global Tourism Resilience and Crisis Management Centre (GTRCM) and our strategic development, particularly in areas of climate change and seismic disruptions.”

The GTRCM is dedicated to assisting with preparedness, management and recovery from disruptions and crises that impact tourism and threaten economies and livelihoods. Just this week, President of the Republic of Kenya, His Excellency Uhuru Kenyatta, accepted an invitation to be Honorary Co-Chair representing Africa.

“I will also be having a series of discussions with potential investors in the area of shopping to look at the building out of mega shopping facilities in Jamaica. One of these discussions will be with one of the largest developers of shopping malls in the United States (U.S) and there is strong interest in building out such a facility in Montego Bay,” Minister Bartlett added.

While in New York, Minister Bartlett will also speak at the Jamaica Independence Black tie Gala. The Jamaica Independence Gala, which is organized by the the Jamaica Independence Gala Society, is an annual event for celebrants from the business, ecumenical and organizational communities to celebrate Jamaica's Independence.

In acknowledging the importance of the event, Minister Bartlett said, “I am delighted to speak at this significant gathering which forms part of the Independence celebration activities for the Diaspora and will bring focus to the great work being done by nonprofit organization, Food for the Poor.

This staging of the Gala will also honour acclaimed U.S actress Kerry Washington and our very own Byron LaBeach, the distinguished Olympian of the 1952 Helsinki Olympic Games.”

The Minister will also participate in a series of interviews with TravAlliance and Recommend Magazine as well as a live interview with Good Day New York. The focus of the interviews will be to highlight the successes of Jamaica’s tourism industry; give an update on product development; and look at the work of the GTRCM, especially as it relates to the issue of Sargassum.

Minister Bartlett returns to the island on August 13, 2019.

KINGSTON, Jamaica – August 8, 2019: President of the Republic of Kenya, His Excellency Uhuru Kenyatta, has accepted Minister of Tourism, Hon. Edmund Bartlett’s invitation to be Honorary Co-Chair (representing Africa) of the Global Tourism Resilience and Crisis Management Centre (GTRCM).  

President Kenyatta joins the esteemed ranks of Prime Minister Andrew Holness and Marie-Louise Coleiro Preca, former President of Malta, as GTRCM honorary co-chairs.

The announcement was made yesterday, at a press briefing hosted at the offices of the Jamaica Tourist Board, New Kingston, by Kenya’s Minister of Tourism and Wildlife, the Hon. Najib Balala.

Kenya’s Tourism Minister was in Jamaica as a member of a Kenyan delegation, headed by President Kenyatta, on a three-day State visit.

The announcement follows the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the Governments of the two countries on Monday to broaden cooperation in tourism. Among the many areas listed in the framework for cooperation are the promotion of safe, ethical and sustainable tourism; collaboration on addressing risk related to tourism resilience and crisis management, through research and development, policy advocacy and communication management, and training and capacity building; and the establishment of a satellite centre of the GTRCM in Kenya.

“We are excited that a new frontier beckons us and that is the African frontier,” said Minister Bartlett.    Noting Jamaica has focussed largely on the United States and Europe for its visitors, he said Africa offered great opportunity as a source market.  “Africa is the new development centre of the world; it is where the new middle class is and the capacity to travel is there. The desire to come to Jamaica is very strong,” he said.  Africa is home to 1.2 billion people while Kenya is the third fastest growing economy on the continent.

“We see an urgent call for greater interaction and connectivity between the people of Kenya and Jamaica that can be fulfilled through tourism and this memorandum of understanding will go a far way in enhancing the opportunity for interaction,” Minister Bartlett continued.

Endorsing the GTRCM, Minister Balala said, “We are here today to support your vision and ideals of establishing a Global Tourism Resilience and Crisis Management Centre. We in Kenya are committed to support this.”

He said Kenya pledged to work with Jamaica, the University of the West Indies and the University of Nairobi to create strategies to counter crises when they happen. Noting that crises can take place anytime and anywhere, he said, “We have the capacity now from lessons learned before on how to counter them.”

In his contribution, Executive Director of the GTRCM, Professor Lloyd Waller, stressed the importance of south-south cooperation as the key to development and noted that the Centre will play an important role where that is concerned.  “There are not enough initiatives for south-south cooperation. A lot of the international development partners are in the developed world and it is important for us to identify a local south organization that will facilitate development. I think that the Centre can play that particular role.”

The GTRCM is dedicated to assisting with preparedness, management and recovery from disruptions and crises that impact tourism and threaten economies and livelihoods.

KINGSTON, Jamaica; August 8, 2019: Minister of Tourism, Hon Edmund Bartlett, says Jamaica is actively exploring additional air connectivity options out of Europe, in light of the United Kingdom (UK) leaving the European Union – which is more popularly known as Brexit. The decision for the UK to leave the European Union (EU) was made in 2016 through a referendum.

Minister Bartlett made the announcement following a meeting yesterday with several key representatives of the EU to Jamaica yesterday at his New Kingston office. The countries represented were Germany, Spain, France and Belgium.

“We are taking a proactive step to ensure that air connectivity between Jamaica and Europe remains robust and consistent given the possibility that our current main gateway from that area – the United Kingdom – may leave the European Union.

England’s departure from the EU will impact not just Jamaica but the region and so these discussions are timely and critical,” said Minister Bartlett.

On average, Jamaica welcomes over 300 thousand European visitors annually. Last year, 328 thousand Europeans visited the island.

High on the list of topics discussed was the need for a market analysis, including stopovers from low cost European airlines and main market for European visitors to Jamaica, to inform the possibility of an EU Air Services Agreement. It was also noted that there was precedent for such an agreement, specifically the 2007 USA/EU Air Transport Agreement.

Head of the Delegation of the European Union to Jamaica, Ambassador Malgorzata Wasilewska, who lead discussions on behalf of the EU representatives, noted that, “The United Kingdom has been the historical and traditional door to Europe for Jamaica and with Brexit most likely to take place, there is interest in strengthening relations with Jamaica and the remaining 27 EU Member States to better engage the markets and people of those countries.”

Ambassador Wasilewska also noted that she would seek further information on a framework within which a collective air services agreement could be pursued by early September.

Minister Bartlett also said, “We will continue bilateral negotiations with individual EU Member States for increased air connectivity between Europe and Jamaica which will include discussions with large carriers from Europe to bridge gaps between the commercial interests, including code sharing arrangements.”