Global Tourism Resilience Conference kicks off in Jamaica

The first annual Global Tourism Resilience Conference (GTRC) officially opened Wednesday morning (Feb. 15) by Jamaica’s Prime Minister Andrew Holness at the University of the West Indies' Regional Headquarters, Mona.

"I am proud to endorse this crucial forum that will provide a platform for industry leaders, researchers, policymakers and other stakeholders to develop problem-solving tools to build resilience across countries and regions," said the Prime Minister, noting that the Caribbean has been singled out as the most tourism-dependent region in the world.

Prime Minister Holness also welcomed news of the United Nations' recent declaration that Feb. 17 will be commemorated annually as Global Tourism Resilience Day - a development initiative by the Government of Jamaica.

The three-day conference currently taking place in Jamaica is being attended by Ministers of Tourism from several countries and other international industry leaders.

High-level discussions are taking place on a range of issues, including lessons gleaned from the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Attendees are also examining data, exchanging ideas, and developing data-driven strategies to help mitigate and handle future threats to the industry.

The conference is the brainchild of Jamaica’s Minister of Tourism and Co-Chair and founder of The Global Tourism Resilience and Crisis Management Centre, the Hon. Edmund Bartlett.

"Resilience will be the key component of the future-proofing of the tourism industry and this historic conference will play a key role in charting the way forward," said Minister Bartlett.

PAX is currently covering the conference on location in Jamaica. Stay tuned for our in-depth report. 

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