Jamaica's Minister of Tourism, the Hon. Edmund Bartlett (file photo)
KINGSTON, Jamaica — Tourism Minister Edmund Bartlett will travel to Toronto today to deliver the keynote address at the Canadian-Caribbean Tourism Resilience Symposium. This event is a major gathering focused on shaping the next decade of tourism collaboration between Canada and the Caribbean.
The symposium, titled “Co-Designing the Next Decade,” will be hosted July 29-30 by George Brown Polytechnic’s Global Tourism Resilience and Crisis Management Centre. It is expected to bring together senior government officials, international tourism executives, academics, policymakers and private-sector leaders. They will examine how destinations can strengthen resilience, accelerate innovation and deepen cross-regional partnerships.
Tourism Resilience
Bartlett is expected to highlight Jamaica’s leadership in tourism resilience. He will outline the country’s vision for a smarter, more inclusive, future-ready tourism sector. In addition, he also is scheduled to take part in a post-speech discussion. He will be accompanied by senior tourism officials, including Professor Lloyd Waller. Waller is executive director of the Jamaica-based GTRCMC. Donovan White, director of tourism, also will attend. Both are scheduled to participate in the program.
Before his departure, Bartlett said the engagement comes as destinations worldwide look for new ways to navigate a more uncertain global environment.
Minister of Tourism, Hon. Edmund Bartlett (file photo)
“Jamaica has earned international recognition as a thought leader in tourism resilience, and this symposium presents another important opportunity to share our experiences while collaborating with our Canadian and Caribbean partners to shape the next chapter of global tourism,” he said.
“The future of the industry will depend on our ability to build resilience, embrace innovation, leverage artificial intelligence responsibly and create tourism economies that are more inclusive and sustainable.”
Jamaica’s Tourism 3.0 Growth Agenda
Bartlett said the forum aligns with Jamaica’s Tourism 3.0 growth agenda, which seeks to transform the sector through stronger governance, expanded community participation, increased innovation and deeper economic linkages. While in Toronto, Bartlett also is scheduled to meet with Canadian business leaders Wes Hall and Donette Chin-Loy Chang.
Media Engagements
The tourism minister also will undertake a series of media engagements aimed at promoting Destination Jamaica and reinforcing the country’s tourism recovery and transformation agenda. His schedule includes a live television interview on CTV’s “Your Morning,” a national morning program. There will also be a radio interview with Patricia and Spex on FLOW 98.7 FM, which serves the Caribbean diaspora in the Greater Toronto Area. In addition, he will have interviews with the Toronto Caribbean Newspaper and veteran Caribbean journalist Paul Junor. He also is expected to participate in media engagements during the Casa Loma Concert Series’ Tribute to Bob Marley. This event will showcase Jamaica’s cultural offerings to Canadian audiences.
Bartlett is scheduled to return to Jamaica on Saturday, Aug. 1.
