Minister Bartlett visits Japan for Critical Tourism Engagements with Jamaica
KINGSTON, Jamaica – Jamaica’s Minister of Tourism, Hon. Edmund Bartlett and Director of Tourism, Paul Pennicook will meet with several tourism stakeholders in Japan as part of efforts to re-engage the market and grow visitor traffic to Jamaica.
The Minister left the island on Sunday May 29.
Mr. Bartlett noted that, “two decades ago Jamaica received upwards of 20,000 Japanese visitors per annum but has since declined to roughly 2,000 per annum, due in part to a long economic slowdown in Japan and other factors. However, with the world’s fourth largest economy and a population of over 127 million, still humming along and over 17 million people travelling overseas every year, I believe we have an opportunity to re-engage Japan on a more sustained basis and increase visitor traffic to Jamaica.”
Minister Bartlett will also meet with representatives from various airlines and prospective investors at a reception being hosted in his honour by Jamaican Ambassador to Japan, His Excellency, Mr. Ricardo Allicock and will have a meeting with Chairman of the Ueshima Coffee Company (UCC) to discuss a proposed Coffee festival in Jamaica and related tourism activities.
Mr. Bartlett has also been invited to speak at the United Nations World Tourism Organization’s (UNWTO) Conference on Tourism & Technology, which is being held in Nara, Japan, on June 2. Minister Bartlett will be one of the presenters for Session 3 of the conference, which will focus on ‘Tourism and Travel Innovations and New Business Models’.
The one-day international conference is being held in conjunction with the 28th Joint Meeting of the UNWTO Commission for East Asia & the Pacific (CAP) and the UNWTO Commission for South Asia (CSA), taking place in Japan from June 1-4, 2016.
Minister Bartlett will also participate in Statutory UNWTO meetings both as Chair of the Board of Affiliate Members of the UNWTO and engage with all the Ministers of Tourism from South Asia and Pacific countries.
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