Minister of Tourism, the Hon. Edmund Bartlett announces the first-ever Global Tourism Resilience Conference Photo Credit JTB

JAMAICA TO HOST THE GLOBAL TOURISM RESILIENCE CONFERENCE IN FEBRUARY

Global Tourism Resilience Conference on the Calendar in Jamaica

KINGSTON, JAMAICA, Jan. 2023: Preparations are in high gear for the Global Tourism Resilience Conference in Jamaica from Feb. 15-17. The conference, which will focus on resilience and capacity building for tourism globally, will feature international speakers from Africa, Asia, Europe, America and the Caribbean. “As we exit the COVID-19 pandemic, tourism resilience has become the epicentre of national development priorities. This is against the backdrop that tourism remains very vulnerable to disruptions like the pandemic. The staging of this conference, which is already in high gear, is therefore relevant and critical to ensuring that the industry will be able to not only recover but thrive afterwards from these disruptions,” said the Hon. Edmund Bartlett, Minister of Tourism, Jamaica. www.visitjamaica.com

The conference is being driven by the Global Tourism Resilience and Crisis Management Centre which is headquartered at the University of the West Indies, Kingston. Some of the areas of focus will include enhancing competitiveness and sustainability; cross-sectorial collaborations; international funding and technical assistance; the establishment of resilience barometers; enhanced research; the adaptation of science, technology and innovation; niche market development; human capacity-building; and small business support, among other areas. “Although we cannot prevent natural disasters, nor equally the devastating global disruptions that impact our region, we can and must come together as one Caribbean to strengthen our response and resilience when these types of events occur.

University of the West Indies in Kingston is one of the Global Tourism Resilience Conference organizers Photo Credit Smapse

The tourism resilience conference presents a timely opportunity for us all as governments and policy stakeholders to collaboratively discuss issues that are central to the development of policies that will reduce our vulnerability,” said the Chairman of the Caribbean Tourism Organization and Minister of Tourism and Transport for the Cayman Islands, the Hon. Kenneth Bryan. “We fully endorse the Global Tourism Resilience Conference and the move to establish a global resilience day. The tourism sector lived through the most challenging two-plus years faced with a once-in-a-lifetime pandemic and is in the advanced stages of recovery, confirming the resilience of the industry. However, we must future-proof this industry and reimagine our tourism master plans taking into consideration infrastructure, the impact of climate change, human and capital development needs, use of technology to ensure our ability to handle current and future headwinds,” said the president of the Caribbean Hotel and Tourist Association, Mrs Nicola Madden-Grieg. A major expected outcome of the conference will be the commemoration of Global Tourism Resilience Day on February 17. It is anticipated that the day will be recognized annually and be used globally as a time to focus on resilience-building and strategies to improve resilience in tourism. The future of tourism is in the hands of today’s partners and stakeholders, so the time to act is now. This conference will be a game changer on the road to a more resilient global tourism industry,” concluded Minister Bartlett. For more information about Jamaica, visit www.visitjamaica.com.

ABOUT JAMAICA TOURIST BOARD

The Jamaica Tourist Board (JTB), founded in 1955, is Jamaica’s national tourism agency based in the capital city of Kingston. JTB offices are also located in Montego Bay, Miami, Toronto and London. Representative offices are located in Berlin, Barcelona, Rome, Amsterdam, Mumbai, Tokyo and Paris. For details on upcoming special events, attractions and accommodations in Jamaica go to the JTB’s Website at www.visitjamaica.com or call the Jamaica Tourist Board at 1-800-JAMAICA (1-800-526-2422). Follow the JTB on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest and YouTube. View the JTB blog at www.islandbuzzjamaica.com.