Jamaica: Edmund Bartlett urges foreign assistance, aims to boost Sustainable Tourism practices

Kingston, Jamaica: The Tourism Minister Edmund Bartlett underscores the importance of international collaboration to foster sustainable tourism practices in a week-long UN’s first-ever Sustainability Week from April 15-19.

The session laid emphasis on achieving the goal of a sustainable future for all, with a primary focus on the tourism industry. The tourism minister of Jamaica, Bartlett addressed the delegation in a High-Level Thematic Event on Tourism and discussed the need to enhance the sector.

“I would like to express gratitude on behalf of Jamaica for the support provided by UN Member States in the adoption of a resolution at the United Nations General Assembly last year to establish 17 February as Global Tourism Resilience Day”, stated Bartlett.

He further added that the tourism sector of any country is affected by the global crisis; however, when it comes to Jamaica, they have the capacity to address the shortcomings in their tourism and drive economic growth.

Minister Bartlett said that they are currently focusing on moving the sustainable tourism sector, which will showcase their natural resources and cultural heritage and ensure long-term economic growth and sustainability.

He agreed that the way to resilience will not be easy to walk alone as security global tourism, especially in Small Island Developing States (SIDS) as it requires a lot of effort including,

• Concerted International assistance
• Visionary policies/ forward-thinking policies
• Promote sustainable practices

Noting this, these measures are important to mitigate the risk of instability in the tourism industry. Jamaica’s Tourism Minister recalled his proposal to establish a ‘Global Tourism Resilience Fund.’

“It is our shared responsibility to safeguard the tourism sector against future challenges. We must create a global environment where resilience in tourism is not just an aspiration but an achievement. The establishment of the Global Tourism Resilience Fund is an important step towards this goal. It reflects our collective commitment to a sustainable, resilient and prosperous future for all countries dependent on tourism”, remarked Barlett.

Additionally, Jamaica is well-known tourism destination among the travellers or visitors. Recently, the nation has achievement a milestone of the arrival of approximately one million visitors on its island since 2024.

The achievement has brought laurels to the efforts of the Tourism industry’s officials and stakeholders. It has benefitted the economy of the country by USD 1 billion in foreign exchange. As per reports, the arrival of an astounding number of travellers has increased compared to previous year.