KINGSTON, Jamaica; July 14, 2022: Minister of Tourism, Hon. Edmund Bartlett has announced that Jamaica will host a high-level policy forum of the Organization of American States (OAS) next week to focus on safeguarding the region’s tourism sector from disruptions, including a looming recession.
In emphasizing the significance of the meeting, which runs from July 20-21, 2022, Minister Bartlett revealed that “it relates primarily to building resilience among the Small and Medium-sized Tourism Enterprises (SMTEs) to withstand disasters and external shocks.”
He also noted that the “capacity building initiative will go a long way as we seek to future-proof the sector” from an impending recession and other future shocks that the industry may face, adding that “we need to be able to develop our capacity to respond to it.”
Stressing that the Caribbean’s dependence on tourism “is impatient of any discussion with regards to the need for this kind of resilience building,” the Tourism Minister pointed out that if the SMTEs are not able to manage the looming recession, the tourism industry will feel the full effects of it.
