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Sicourney Jackson

Jamaica Tourist Boar

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Jamaica’s Minister of Tourism Honoured as Global Tourism Icon in Africa

The recognition elevates Jamaica’s Leadership in Tourism Resilience Across the Global South

Pictured: Minister of Tourism, Hon Edmund Bartlett delivers his keynote address at the 4^th Global Tourism Resilience Day Conference and Expo on February 17 in Nairobi, Kenya.

KINGSTON, Jamaica; August 20, 2026 – Jamaica’s Minister of Tourism, Hon Edmund Bartlett, will be honoured as a Tourism ICON at the PYNE Awards Africa 2026, recognising his global leadership in building tourism resilience and advancing stronger partnerships between Africa, the Caribbean and the wider Global South.

Minister Bartlett will receive the prestigious honour during the PYNE Awards Africa 2026, scheduled for September 24–26, 2026, in Maputo, Mozambique. The awards celebrate leaders across Africa, the Caribbean and the Diaspora who are driving innovation, youth empowerment, economic transformation and resilience.

The recognition places Jamaica’s tourism leadership firmly on the global stage and acknowledges Minister Bartlett’s pioneering role in transforming tourism resilience from a destination-level priority into a global development agenda. Among his landmark contributions is the establishment of the Global Tourism Resilience and Crisis Management Centre in Jamaica, which has emerged as an international platform for helping tourism destinations anticipate, prepare for and recover from disruptions, including climate change, pandemics, geopolitical shocks and other global crises.

Minister Bartlett also championed the charge for the designation of February 17 as Global Tourism Resilience Day by the United Nations, helping to elevate resilience as a central pillar of the international tourism conversation. “This recognition from Africa, in the beautiful nation of Mozambique, is deeply significant,” said Minister Bartlett. “It affirms that resilience is a shared language between the Caribbean and Africa. From Maputo to Montego Bay, we face many of the same climate threats, economic vulnerabilities and development challenges, and we must build solutions together.”

The PYNE Awards Africa recognition also underscores the growing relevance of Jamaica’s tourism resilience model to emerging destinations across Africa and the Global South. As countries seek to strengthen tourism competitiveness, unlock investment and create greater opportunities for communities and young people, resilience is increasingly being viewed as fundamental to sustainable tourism development.

Minister Bartlett’s work has championed a tourism model that places people, communities, youth, innovation and small states at the centre of tourism development, while advocating for greater international cooperation and investment in the capacity of destinations to withstand and recover from global shocks.

The three-day PYNE Awards Africa 2026 in Maputo will bring together Heads of State, Ministers, business leaders, investors, youth leaders and other influential stakeholders to examine the future of African leadership, investment, innovation and tourism growth.

The honour further strengthens the longstanding Africa-Caribbean connection, while highlighting Jamaica’s growing role as a strategic partner in advancing resilient, inclusive and sustainable tourism economies across the Global South. For Jamaica, the recognition is also a powerful affirmation that the country’s tourism leadership is influencing the global conversation—not only about how destinations grow, but about how they prepare, adapt, recover and create lasting benefits for their people.

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ABOUT THE JAMAICA TOURIST BOARD  

The Jamaica Tourist Board (JTB), founded in 1955, is Jamaica’s national tourism agency based in the capital city of Kingston. JTB offices are also located in Montego Bay, Miami, Toronto and London. Representative offices are in Berlin, Madrid, Milan, Amsterdam, Mumbai, Tokyo and Paris.

Jamaica is home to some of the world’s best accommodations, attractions and service providers that continue to receive prominent global recognition. In 2025, TripAdvisor® ranked Jamaica as the #13 Best Honeymoon Destination, #11 Best Culinary Destination, and #24 Best Cultural Destination in the World. In 2024, Jamaica was declared ‘World’s Leading Cruise Destination’ and ‘World’s Leading Family Destination’ for the fifth consecutive year by the World Travel Awards, which also named the JTB the ‘Caribbean’s Leading Tourist Board’ for the 17th consecutive year.

Jamaica earned six Travvy Awards, including a gold for ‘Best Travel Agent Academy Program’ and silver for ‘Best Culinary Destination – Caribbean’ and ‘Best Tourism Board – Caribbean’. The destination also received bronze recognition for ‘Best Destination – Caribbean’, ‘Best Wedding Destination – Caribbean’, and ‘Best Honeymoon Destination – Caribbean’. Additionally, Jamaica received a TravelAge West WAVE award for ‘International Tourism Board Providing the Best Travel Advisor Support’ for a record-setting 12th time.

For details on upcoming special events, attractions, and accommodations in Jamaica, go to the JTB’s Website at www.visitjamaica.com or call the Jamaica Tourist Board at 1-800-JAMAICA (1-800-526-2422). Follow the JTB on Facebook, X, Instagram, Pinterest and YouTube.