Bartlett to Establish Satellite Tourism Resilience Centre in Nepal

Jamaica Tourism Minister, Hon. Edmund Bartlett, has announced that the Global Tourism Resilience and Crisis Management Centre (GTRCMC) will, on January 1, 2020, conclude discussions for a Memorandum of Understanding to establish a Satellite Centre in Nepal.

Minister Bartlett will leave the island on Sunday, December 29, 2019, for Nepal to conclude those discussions on the establishment of the Centre. The announcement for the Satellite Centre began during the Global Resilience Summit in London last month, when Minister of Tourism for Nepal, His Excellency Yogesh Bhattarai, invited Minister Bartlett to Nepal.

Minister Bartlett’s visit is significant as it will coincide with the country’s campaign “Return of Nepal” that marks their recovery from a powerful ‘rainstorm’ that swept across two districts of southern Nepal killing at least 28 and injuring more than 1,100 people last year.

“My visit is timely as it speaks to the very essence of what the GTRCMC is all about – recovering from disruptions. What we are also seeing is an international confluence as it relates to the GTRCMC and this speaks to the need for resilience building in the tourism industry.

“Like other Satellite Centres, this one in Nepal will focus on regional issues and will share information in Nano time with the Global Tourism Resilience and Crisis Management Centre. They will then function as think tanks to develop possible solutions,” said Minister Bartlett.

Most recently, a Satellite Centre was established in Kenya and the GTRCMC will be establishing Satellite Centres in Seychelles, South Africa, Nigeria and Morocco to expand its reach within the continent.

Each Minister has the responsibility of identifying a university in their respective countries, to collaborate with the University of the West Indies and by extension the Global Tourism Resilience and Crisis Management Centre.

“We are in an age where tourism is still susceptible to many global disruptions that span climatic events like hurricanes, terrorism and cybercrime. Many countries are heavily dependent on tourism, especially the Caribbean, and as such we must safeguard its future by building resilience. This is why the GTRCMC and Satellite Centres are critical to the industry at this time,” added Minister Bartlett.

The Global Tourism Resilience and Crisis Management Centre, which was first announced in 2017, operates in a global context that is characterized by not only new challenges but also new opportunities for tourism in an effort to improve the tourism product as well as to ensure the sustainability of tourism globally.

The ultimate purpose of the Centre is to assist destination preparedness, management and recovery from disruptions and/or crises that impact tourism and threaten economies and livelihoods globally.

The Minister is expected to return from Nepal on Sunday, January 5, 2020.

MEDIA CONTACT: Jamaica Ministry of Tourism, Corporate Communications, 64 Knutsford Boulevard, Kingston 5, Tel: 920-4926-30, Fax: 920-4944