February 17, 2023
The first annual Global Tourism Resilience Conference (GTRC) was officially opened this morning by 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 Holness, noting that the Caribbean has been singled out as the most tourism-dependent region in the world.
The Prime Minister also welcomed news of the United Nations’ recent declaration that February 17 will be commemorated annually as Global Tourism Resilience Day – a development initiative by the Government of Jamaica.
The 3-day conference is being attended by Ministers of Tourism from several countries and other international industry leaders. High-level discussions will take place on a range of issues, including lessons gleaned from the COVID-19 pandemic. Attendees will also examine data, exchange ideas, and develop data-driven strategies to help mitigate and handle future threats to the industry.
The conference is the brainchild of Tourism Minister and Co-Chair and founder of The Global Tourism Resilience and Crisis Management Centre, 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.”