Jamaica minister of tourism, Edmund Bartlett, has embarked on an oversees tour to boost the recovering travel sector in the Caribbean.
Following an earlier, successful trip to North America, the industry leader will now head to the Middle East and the United Kingdom to explore investment opportunities.
He will be accompanied by a high-level team as Jamaica reopens to evermore travellers.
Prior to his departure, Bartlett said, “As we seek to accelerate the recovery of the tourism industry, I will be leading a delegation to the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Saudi Arabia and the United Kingdom to explore opportunities for foreign direct investment in our tourism sector as well as shore up arrivals from our third largest source market.”
The minister added investment would play a critical role in tourism recovery by providing the funds necessary to construct and upgrade projects essential to the development and growth of tourism capacity.
The blitz starts with targeting the travel market at the Dubai Expo 2020 in the United Arab Emirates.
Jamaica is among the more than 190 exhibitors at the event with a pavilion highlighting the latest products and innovations under the theme Jamaica Makes it Move.
It is designed to connect the world through its unique music, food, sports and other aspects of its rich heritage.
While in the UAE, the minister and his team will meet with the local tourism authority to discuss collaboration on tourism investment from the region.
Bartlett will then head to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, where he will speak at the fifth anniversary of the Future Investment Initiative.
This event will this year include in-depth conversations about new global investment opportunities, analysis of industry trends and unparalleled networking among chief executives, world leaders and experts.
He will be joined by senator Aubyn Hill in his capacity as minister without portfolio in the ministry of economic growth and job creation.
World Travel Market
The recent lifting of the advisory against all non-essential travel to Jamaica from the UK has paved the way for Bartlett to lead a high-level team to London targeting the UK market.
Key stakeholder engagements will be held with Virgin Atlantic, China Forum and British Airways at World Travel Market London, one of the most important annual meetings for the international travel sector.
Also, the tourism minister will be a special guest at the ninth Advocacy Dinner of the Pacific Asia Travel Association.
In continuation of his international responsibilities, he will also participate in a UN World Tourism Organisation, World Travel & Tourism Council and WTM Ministers’ Summit.
The packed itinerary also includes media interviews, speaking engagements at City Nation Place Global Conference in London, a board meeting of the Global Tourism Resilience & Crisis Management Centre (GTRCMC) and a meeting with the Jamaican Diaspora community in the UK.
World Travel Awards
In a positive development at the start of the trip, Jamaica today scooped a number of top titles at the World Travel Awards.
The island destination took trophies for Caribbean’s Leading Tourist Board and Caribbean’s Leading Destination, among others.