Jamaica’s Tourism Minister, the Hon. Edmund Bartlett, today welcomed delegations representing more than 20 countries who are visiting Jamaica this week to participate in the annual convening of the Caribbean Travel Marketplace, hosted this year by Jamaica’s Ministry of Tourism and the Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association (CHTA).

Dignitaries and travel buyers attending this year’s Caribbean Travel Marketplace, held at the Montego Bay Convention Center, represent the nations of: Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Colombia, India, Mexico, Panama, Peru, Poland, Puerto Rico, St. Vincent and The Grenadines, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and the United States. In addition, for the first time in Caribbean Travel Marketplace history, the CHTA will also host a large contingent of Chinese travel buyers.

“I am very honored to spend time with our colleagues and friends in the international tourism sector this week,” said Min. Bartlett. “Tourism is vital to the economy of Jamaica, the Caribbean and the global economy. Last year, our island nation welcomed more than 4.3 million visitors from around the world. We are extremely pleased to have this opportunity, as host of Caribbean Travel Marketplace, to showcase the many wonderful natural, social, economic and cultural resources that Jamaica has to offer.”

In addition to the activities planned around Caribbean Travel Marketplace, the Ministry of Tourism will present the opening of The Global Centre for Tourism Resilience and Crisis Management. The Centre is the very first international venue based in the Caribbean designed to carry out policy-relevant research and analysis on destination preparedness, management and recovery from disruptions or crises that impact tourism and threaten economies and livelihoods globally. The Centre is located at The University of the West Indies, Mona Campus.

Jamaica’s role as host of Caribbean Travel Marketplace occurs at a time when the island nation is being celebrated for its global leadership in tourism. Earlier this month Jamaica was honored at the 2019 Travvy Awards in New York City and received five major Awards, including a special recognition for Min. Bartlett, who won the inaugural Chairman’s Award for Global Tourism Innovation. The Jamaica Tourist Board won Best Tourist Board in the Caribbean. The island nation also won Best Wedding Destination, Best Honeymoon Destination, and Best Culinary Destination.

For more information, contact:

Corporate Communications Division

Ministry of Tourism

64 Knutsford Boulevard

Kingston 5

Tel: (876) 920-4926-30

Fax: (876) 906 1729

Photo by Ken Williams.