KINGSTON, Jamaica; July 16, 2021. Minister of Tourism and Co-Chair of the Global Tourism Resilience and Crisis Management Centre (GTRCMC), Hon. Edmund Bartlett, and Kenya’s Cabinet Secretary, Ministry of Tourism and Wildlife, and Chairman of the GTRCMC – Eastern Africa, Hon. Najib Balala today (July 16) signed a ground-breaking memorandum of understanding (MOU) that will pave the way for the two Centres to work together to develop policy and conduct relevant research on destination preparedness, management and recovery.
The signing took place during the Tourism Recovery Summit for African Ministers of Tourism currently underway in Nairobi, Kenya, where Minister Bartlett was invited to speak in his capacity as a well-respected global thought leader on tourism resilience and recovery.
Minister Bartlett lauded the MOU signing, as “a huge leap for policy research. It will allow these two Centres to collaborate in forecasting, mitigating and managing risks related to tourism resilience caused by various disruptive factors. This is truly an exciting opportunity.” The GTRCMC – East Africa at Kenyatta University, is a regional satellite centre of the international GTRCMC, located at the University of the West Indies (UWI), Jamaica.
“This is particularly relevant as we navigate and respond to the challenges brought on by the ongoing global COVID-19 pandemic. We must be at the forefront of coordinating responses, surveillance and monitoring, and organizing economic relief efforts within and across borders. Collaborations such as this are both critical and timely,” the Minister said.
Following the MOU signing, Hon. Najib Balala presented a cheque for Ksh 10 million (US$ 100,000) to Minister Bartlett to support activities at the East Africa Centre.
The MOU will facilitate a strategic partnership as it relates to Research and Development; Policy Advocacy and Communication Management; Programme/Project Design and Management and Training and Capacity Building, specific to climate change and disaster management; security and cyber-security management; entrepreneurial management; and pandemic and epidemic management.
This will be done through programmes or undertakings such as:
Joint research activities
Joint teaching or supervision of students
Staging of joint seminars, conferences, workshops, training initiatives and academic meetings
Short/long-term student exchange or study abroad activities
Exchange of academic materials and other information
Collaborative academic programmes
Joint collaborative Grant Proposals
Collaboration in distance education
Other mutually beneficial endeavours.
The stage was set for the MOU signing in 2019 during the state visit of the President of Kenya, His Excellency Uhuru Kenyatta, where discussions were held between representatives of UWI, Jamaica’s Ministry of Tourism, the Global Tourism Resilience and Crisis Management Centre and Kenya’s Ministry of Tourism & Wildlife (Kenya) to explore establishing the GTRCMC – East Africa at Kenyatta University.
Minister Bartlett also toured Kenyatta University and the GTRCMC – East Africa where he was hosted by the Vice Chancellor of Kenyatta University, Professor Paul Wainaina.
Photo Captions
(GTRCMC MOU Signing 1) Kenya’s Cabinet Secretary, Ministry of Tourism and Wildlife, and Chairman of the Global Tourism Resilience and Crisis Management Centre (GTRCMC) – Eastern Africa, Hon. Najib Balala (2nd left), presents a cheque for Ksh 10 million (US$ 100,000) to Minister of Tourism and Co-Chair the GTRCMC – Jamaica, Hon. Edmund Bartlett (2nd right) to support activities at the East Africa Centre. The presentation took place following the signing of an MOU between the two Centres earlier today (July 16). Also participating in the event were Vice Chancellor of Kenyatta University, Professor Paul Wainaina (left) and Ms. Anna-Kay Newell, Director of International Relations, GTRCMC – Jamaica. The GTRCMC – East Africa at Kenyatta University, Nairobi, Kenya, is the satellite centre of the Jamaican based GTRCMC, located at the University of the West Indies, Mona. The MOU signing took place during the Tourism Recovery Summit for African Ministers of Tourism underway in Nairobi. Minister Bartlett was invited to speak at the summit in his capacity as a well-respected global thought leader on tourism resilience and recovery.
(GTRCMC MOU Signing 2) Minister of Tourism and Co-Chair of the Global Tourism Resilience and Crisis Management Centre (GTRCMC) – Jamaica, Hon. Edmund Bartlett (2nd right), and Kenya’s Cabinet Secretary, Ministry of Tourism and Wildlife, and Chairman of the GTRCMC – Eastern Africa, Hon. Najib Balala (2nd left), display MOUs signed earlier today (July 16) between the two Centres. Looking on are Vice Chancellor of Kenyatta University, Professor Paul Wainaina (left) and Ms. Anna-Kay Newell, Director of International Relations, GTRCMC – Jamaica. The GTRCMC – East Africa at Kenyatta University, Nairobi, Kenya, is the satellite centre of the Jamaican based GTRCMC, located at the University of the West Indies, Mona. The MOU signing took place during the African Tourism Recovery Summit currently underway in Nairobi, Kenya. Minister Bartlett was invited to speak at the summit in his capacity as a well-respected global thought leader on tourism resilience and recovery.
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