Jamaica PM endorses Global Tourism Resilience Conference

Jamaica Prime Minister Andrew Holness on Thursday endorsed the first annual Global Tourism Resilience Conference (GTRC) that he officially opened at the University of the West Indies’ Regional Headquarters, Mona, Jamaica.

“I am proud to endorse this crucial forum that will provide a platform for industry leaders, researchers, policymakers and other stakeholders to develop problem-solving tools to build resilience across countries and regions,” said Holness, noting that the Caribbean has been singled out as the most tourism-dependent region in the world.

He also welcomed news of the United Nations’ recent declaration that Feb. 17 will be commemorated annually as Global Tourism Resilience Day — a development initiative by the Government of Jamaica.

The Jamaica Tourist Board (JTB) said on Thursday that the three-day conference, currently taking place in Jamaica, is being attended by ministers of tourism from several countries and other international industry leaders.

JTB said high-level discussions are taking place on a range of issues, including lessons gleaned from the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Attendees are also examining data, exchanging ideas, and developing data-driven strategies to help mitigate and handle future threats to the industry,” said JTB, stating that the conference is the brainchild of Jamaica’s Minister of Tourism, and Co-Chair and founder of The Global Tourism Resilience and Crisis Management Centre, Edmund Bartlett.

“Resilience will be the key component of the future-proofing of the tourism industry and this historic conference will play a key role in charting the way forward,” Bartlett said.