MONTEGO BAY, Jamaica — Tourism Minister Edmund Bartlett is calling on Jamaicans overseas to play a larger role in strengthening the country’s tourism resilience. The sector pursues an ambitious target of 10 million visitors and US$10 billion in earnings over the next decade.
Bartlett said Jamaicans abroad can help grow the industry beyond remittances. They can invest in resilience projects and support destination marketing. They can also help build stronger local ownership across the tourism value chain.
11th Biennial Jamaica Diaspora Conference
The minister made the appeal this week during the 11th Biennial Jamaica Diaspora Conference at the Montego Bay Convention Centre. Bartlett was the lead presenter on a panel titled “Secure Jamaica’s Future: Building National Climate Tourism and Disaster Resilience.” Organizers said this year’s conference recorded its highest registration to date. Participants came from 16 countries and many others joined online.
Bartlett also proposed creating a diaspora climate corps. It would include skilled Jamaicans abroad with strong networks. They could share expertise to help expand the country’s resilience infrastructure.
“Help finance solar systems, water systems, reef restoration, climate-smart agriculture, community tourism and resilience upgrades,” Bartlett said. “Even modest investment, properly pooled and professionally managed, can become ownership. Even 1% of remittance power can build real climate resilience.”
Confidence in Jamaica
Bartlett said strong visitor arrivals signal confidence in Jamaica, but climate change remains one of the destination’s “fiercest competitors.” With many tourism assets located along the coast, he said the country must manage both physical risks and perception risks.
“In tourism, perception can damage a destination faster than a hurricane,” Bartlett said. “Confidence is currency. If Jamaica is to protect tourism in the climate era, we must protect not only roads, airports, hotels and beaches; we must protect trust.”
He said water, energy and food security must be central to Jamaica’s resilience strategy, along with greater support for tourism workers and more efficient distribution of national resources.
Bartlett said the diaspora represents a powerful network of knowledge, influence and capital that can help Jamaica strengthen resilience and expand economic opportunity. “You are the power that resides in critical spaces of influence and corridors of power,” he said. “We want you to bring that kind of resource into Jamaica to enable the building of resilience.”
