Jamaica pushes for Global Tourism Resilience Day

Jamaica Tourism Minister, Hon. Edmund Bartlett, and UN Ambassador Brian Wallace met to discuss the progress of Global Tourism Resilience Day.

Minister Bartlett was briefed by the Jamaica permanent representative to the UN, Ambassador Brian Wallace, on the progress of Prime Minister Andrew Holness’ call for the declaration of February 17 as Global Tourism Resilience Day.

Minister Bartlett also updated the Ambassador on the plans by the Ministry of Tourism of the Global Tourism Resilience and Crisis Management Centre along with the Caribbean Tourism Organization and the Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association to host the first observation of the day at the University of the West Indies in Mona, Jamaica, on February 17, 2023.

The ambassador indicated that the resolution which is to be placed before the UN, is being drafted and support is being generated for its successful passage.

If successful, Prime Minister Holness would be the second Jamaican Prime Minister to have the UN declare an international day, the first being the most Hon. Hugh Lawson Shearer, Prime Minister of Jamaica from 1967 to 1972.

Jamaica Tourism Minister Hon. Bartlett explained that the need for the creation of a global tourism resilience initiative was one of the major outcomes of the Global Conference on Jobs and Inclusive Growth: Partnerships for Sustainable Tourism under the  esteemed partnership of the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), the Government of Jamaica, the World Bank Group, and the Inter-American Development Bank(IDB).

“We have continued the charge in developing this much-needed initiative in the form of the Global Tourism Resilience and Crisis Management Centre (GTRCMC).”

“The ultimate goal of the Centre is to assist destination preparedness, management, and recovery from disruptions and/or crises that affect tourism and threaten economies and livelihoods globally,” Minister Bartlett stated.

The minister further explained that the GTRCMC will specifically be tasked with creating, producing, and generating toolkits, guidelines, and policies to assist with preparatory and recovery efforts of tourism stakeholders affected by climatic, pandemic, cyber-crim,e and cyber-terrorism related disruptions.

This centre is of particular importance in the region, because of the vulnerability of the Caribbean to climatic and other disruptions. This is primarily because tourism industries in the region are dependent on a number of infrastructure such as airports and hotels, so structural integrity is important.

MEDIA CONTACT: Corporate Communications Division, Ministry of Tourism, 64 Knutsford Boulevard, Kingston 5, Telephone: 920-4924, Fax: 920-4944 – OR – Kingsley Roberts, Senior Director, Corporate Communications, Ministry of Tourism, 64 Knutsford Boulevard, Kingston 5, Tel: 920-4926-30, ext.: 5990, Cell: (876) 505-6118, Fax: 920-4944