Photo: Dave Reid
MONTEGO BAY, Jamaica – Jamaica’s Tourism Minister, Hon Edmund Bartlett is confirming strong regional support for the establishment of the Global Tourism Resilience and Crisis Management Centre in Jamaica, which is expected to be operational in September of this year.
“Following a series of discussions with our partners and stakeholders, the Caribbean region has thrown its support behind the initiative. Most recently, the Caribbean Development Bank confirmed that it is fully committed to working with the Resilience Centre in terms of its establishment and the series of programmes and activities that will ensue,” said Minister Bartlett.
The Centre will be housed at the University of the West Indies, Mona, and is being designed to help vulnerable states across the world, to recover quickly from natural disasters. It will specifically target destination preparedness, management and recovery from disruptions and/or crises that threaten economies and livelihoods globally, with real time data and effective communication.
Minister Bartlett said, “During discussions with CARICOM Assistant Secretary-General, Trade and Economic Integration, Mr. Joseph Cox, at the just concluded CARICOM Heads of Government meeting in Montego Bay, we were also able to gain full endorsement of the Global Tourism Resilience and Crisis Management Centre from every Caribbean entity that is responsible for both governance and management of sectoral interests.”
Photo: Dave Reid
“We have already received resounding support from the Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association (CHTA), the Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO), the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CEDEMA) through Mr. Ronald Jackson and our long standing partner, the University of the West Indies Mona,
“Now the region is fully aligned with the Resilience Centre which augurs well in terms of our campaigning worldwide to get buy in to make it successful and a centrepiece of global intelligence, information mining and communication for resilience building of the sector within the region,” added Minister Bartlett.
The official launch of the Global Tourism Resilience and Crisis Management Centre is scheduled for January 2019, during the Caribbean Travel Marketplace, which will be held at the Montego Bay Convention Centre.
The Centre was first announced during the United Nations World Tourism Organization’s Global Conference on Jobs and Inclusive Growth: Partnerships for Sustainable Tourism, held in Montego Bay last November during the International year of sustainable tourism for development as a response to political turmoil, climatic events, pandemics, shifting global economies as well as crime and violence which can be devastating to travel and tourism.
