Hon. Edmund Bartlett at the UN

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.”

The Executive Chairman of Sandals Resorts International called on the young people of the Caribbean to tap into their creative genius, never to settle for mediocrity, and to keep betting on the future of Jamaica and the Caribbean.

Delivering remarks after being conferred with an honorary Doctor of Laws (LLD) degree at the 2022 graduation ceremony of The University of the West Indies, Mona Campus over the weekend, Adam Stewart encouraged the graduating to be the generation that competes on the world stage and outperforms any society in the world.

“We are a fascinating people. We are a people rich in culture. The way we walk, the way we talk, the respect that we demand, the pride that we have. Ladies and gentlemen, do not settle. Do not bet against this country and this region,” he said, noting that “a solution for Jamaica and a solution for the Caribbean is not overseas. It is right here in your backyard.”

Stewart said the Caribbean ought to encourage and embrace an entrepreneurial mindset. “What we are looking for is that individual who shows up every single day giving 110 percent. What we are looking for in this region is the future and everything that we can become,” he commented, imploring graduates to not get caught up in idle banter.

Ambassador Audrey Marks Welcomes Minister Edmund Bartlett

KINGSTON, Jamaica; January 28, 2021:  Tourism Minister, Hon. Edmund Bartlett, is encouraging members of the Diaspora to invest in the local tourism sector, which continues to drive Jamaica's economic recovery. 

Speaking yesterday during the 'Let's Connect with Ambassador Marks' online series, Bartlett noted that: "We have a Diaspora with enormous wealth, experience, capabilities, talent, skill, and connectivity with communities. We need to be investing in capital formation and new enterprises in Jamaica so that Jamaica can build its capacity to respond to the demand that tourism brings." 

He disclosed that one key sector that needs investment is agriculture. He also shared that Jamaica has not been able to produce the required agricultural supplies in the numbers, volume, consistency and at the price point required to supply the hotels. 

"The next element that we are moving in on very strongly is to build out the capacity of Jamaica in this current and post COVID-19 period to deliver more on the demand of tourism. We argue that tourism is an extractive industry because we have not been able to supply the agricultural demands of the industry," said Bartlett. 

Mandeville, Jamaica. December 23, 2021.   The announcement of Minister of Tourism, The Honourable Edmund Bartlett, on December 3, 2021 at the 24th session of the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) General Assembly in Madrid, Spain, of his intention to invest and promote Village Tourism in Jamaica is welcomed by all Community Tourism partners.   Delegates who approved the Redesigning Tourism for the Future Task Force agreed that this was a big victory for World Tourism.

BRAND Jamaica is known for being the home of the fastest man and the fastest woman on planet earth, Usain Bolt and Elaine Thompson-Herah, Reggae, Bob Marley and its first National Hero, Marcus Mosiah Garvey.  Jamaica is also the HOME OF COMMUNITY TOURISM, having given it birth some 47 years ago and been so branded in 1994 by Dr. Louis D’Amore, founder, International Institute for Peace through Tourism (IIPT).  The title has since grown to include the Caribbean Region.  Community Tourism has in turn given birth to Villages as Businesses, a world recognized and acclaimed programme created in Jamaica and implemented and exported locally, regionally and internationally with a focus on community economic tourism.

The Tourism Minister’s announcement is in fact an award-winning decision based on the following truth: it is endorsing the passion, philosophy and commitment of Diana McIntyre-Pike, tourism pioneer, which has earned her and Villages as Businesses some 25 awards spanning 40 years. 

Hon. Edmund Bartlett

KINGSTON, Jamaica; December 3, 2021: Tourism Minister, Hon Edmund Bartlett has emphasised that Jamaica is restructuring the tourism industry to ensure that more of the earnings from the sector go to the small and medium tourism enterprises. 

The Minister made the comment yesterday during a Ministerial Debate on Policies to Foster Tourism for Rural Development during the 24th session of the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) General Assembly in Madrid, Spain. 

"There are inequities we know to exist in those who are the real providers of tourism experiences and those who are the beneficiaries of the tourism spend. Globally, 80 per cent of tourism is driven by the small and medium players, but only 20 per cent of the returns go to them. We have to rebalance that asymmetry, and I think that the policy that Jamaica has adopted in this regard will go a long way in enabling this rebalancing," said Bartlett. 

He added that research has shown that people travel to experience culture not traditionally found in the resort areas but in rural communities. Therefore the Ministry will be focusing heavily on leveraging community tourism experiences, especially those focusing on the country's rich biodiversity.