Andrew Holness travel tips

Jamaica’s Prime Minister, the Most Hon. Andrew Holness has challenged the Ministry of Tourism to work closely with tourism partners to significantly boost tourist arrivals and strengthen linkages with other sectors, in particular agriculture. “The impact of tourism goes beyond the confines of the industry itself; it ripples through various sectors creating a web of opportunities for people. Jobs created by tourism extend into agriculture, entertainment, attractions, communications and transportation, to name a few,” noted Prime Minister Holness.

Several airports across the Caribbean have closed and airline travel alerts issued as Hurricane Beryl barrels toward Jamaica.

At least seven people in Jamaica have been killed and thousands of others are left assessing the damage after Hurricane Beryl hit the southern coast of the island in the early hours of Thursday.

Prime Minister Andrew Holness will deliver the Keynote Address during the Live Celebration of Global Tourism Resilience Day on the final day of the second Global Tourism Resilience Day Conference. Minister Bartlett will also address the high-level summit. This year’s staging follows Jamaica’s efforts to bolster resilience in global tourism by proposing the official designation of February 17th as Global Tourism Resilience Day annually, which yielded great success, as the United Nations (UN) ratified the move last February to facilitate its observance globally. The much-anticipated conference will be attended by government ministers from several countries, policy advisors, academics, executives of several international organisations, international business leaders, among other key stakeholders. The event forms part of efforts by the Ministry of Tourism and its tourism partners, including the Global Tourism Resilience and Crisis Management Centre (GTRCMC), to boost resilience in global tourism. The Prime Minister’s address will be followed by remarks by international speakers from Malaga, Spain, Kenya, and Saudi Arabia. Following a brief book launch, a Ministerial Round Table discussion will be held with UN Tourism Secretary-General H.E. Zurab Pololikashvili and representatives from across the globe.

During the summit, the Saudi Crown Prince, who is the visionary behind the Saudi Vision 2030, addressed tourism ministers, industry professionals, and leaders.

Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Saudi Fund for Development (SFD), Sultan bin Abdulrahman Al-Marshad (2nd left), smiles as he shakes hands with Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, Hon. Kamina Johnson Smith in the presence of Prime Minister, the Most Hon. Andrew Holness (3rd right) and Minister of Tourism, Hon. Edmund Bartlett (3rd left) after both governments signed a developmental framework memorandum of understanding (MoU) on the sidelines of the CARICOM-Saudi Arabia Summit in Riyadh on Thursday, November 16, 2023. (Photo: Saudi Press Agency)