New York, NY – Jamaica’s Minister of Tourism, Hon. Edmund Bartlett, delivered a keynote address on Monday at the Caribbean Tourism Organization’s (CTO) Leadership Luncheon, calling for bold action to build tourism resilience across the Caribbean region. Speaking under the theme “Caribbean Resilience: Crafting Tomorrow’s Tourism,” Minister Bartlett outlined a transformative vision for sustainable tourism development.
CTO Caribbean Week 2025 continues through June 6, bringing together tourism leaders, policymakers, and industry stakeholders to advance the theme.
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“We stand at the cusp of an era that is uncertain yet laden with possibility,” declared Minister Bartlett. “We have an urgent duty to transform the Caribbean into a paragon of sustainable, resilient, and community-centered tourism. Our story is not one of victimhood—it is one of steadfast resilience and unbreakable unity.”
The focus of Minister Bartlett’s address was his passionate call for the establishment of a Tourism Resilience Fund specifically designed to support small island developing states across the Caribbean.
The Minister emphasized that such a fund would serve as both a practical mechanism for crisis response and a symbol of regional commitment to safeguarding tourism’s future. “This Fund is not merely a financial mechanism; it is a symbolic and practical testament to our commitment to safeguarding the future of tourism for small island developing states,” Minister Bartlett stated.
He also highlighted the pivotal role of the Global Tourism Resilience & Crisis Management Centre (GTRCMC), which he helped establish, in steering the region through future challenges. “The GTRCMC stands as more than an institution—it is the backbone of our future strategy, a future where disruptions and shocks are met with swift, coordinated, and science-based actions,” the Minister emphasized.
Minister Bartlett concluded his address by stating that Caribbean resilience is more than a theme—it is a strategic imperative that will guide the region’s economic development and global leadership in the coming decades.
“Let the Caribbean be a beacon of possibility—a region that faced enormous challenges, yet chose collaboration over isolation, sustainability over short-sightedness, and resilience over resignation,” Minister Bartlett said.
He is leading a small delegation at CTO Week in New York. The week of activities features dynamic discussions, cultural celebrations, and industry networking, including the Caribbean Media Marketplace, Caribbean Media Awards, leadership forums, artificial intelligence panels, and CTO’s high-level business meetings.
For more information on visiting Jamaica, go to www.visitjamaica.com.
