Jamaica to Highlight Issues of Tourism-Dependent Nations at UNWTO Meeting

Jamaica will highlight the special issues impacting the island and other tourism-dependent nations at the 25th session of the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) General Assembly, says Minister of Tourism, Hon. Edmund Bartlett.

He was speaking to JIS News shortly before departing the island for the five-day meeting, which got underway on Monday, Oct.16, in Samarkand, Uzbekistan.

Minister Bartlett pointed out that his attendance comes against the background of Jamaica being elected to serve on the UNWTO Executive Council from 2023-2027 alongside Colombia, during the 68th UNWTO Commission for the Americas Meeting (CAM) held in Quito, Ecuador in June 2023.

“The Executive Council is a highly esteemed body and is responsible for the management and implementation of strategic decisions carried out by the UNWTO,” Mr. Bartlett said.

“As an Executive Council member, we will seek to capitalise on the opportunity provided by the General Assembly to contribute to the discourse on the most pressing issues affecting the tourism industry by adding our voice as one of the most tourism-dependent nations in the world as we seek to build resilience and foster sustainable development,” he noted.

The five-day meeting is a coming together of global tourism leaders to discuss a wide range of issues, including tourism sustainability, investment, tourism competitiveness, and education.

Minister Bartlett said that the session, which is the first face-to-face engagement of the UNWTO General Assembly since the onset of COVID-19 in 2020, “is extremely critical”.

“As we enter the post-COVID-19 era it is crucial that all UNWTO Member States meet to examine the state of the industry and plot the way forward as we strive to maintain the robust recovery and growth of the global tourism industry in the aftermath of the pandemic,” he told JIS News.

The Minister noted that the approximately 159 Member States of the General Assembly, which is the decision-making body of the UNWTO, will also look at how the world has changed since COVID-19 and best practices going forward.

He noted that while there is a lot of catching up to do, delegates representing the full and associate members are confident that the session, which is normally held every two years will be “seamlessly back on track…with a renewed sense of purpose.”

The UNWTO is a specialised agency of the United Nations which promotes responsible, sustainable, and universally accessible tourism.

It is headquartered in Madrid, Spain.

As a driver of economic growth, inclusive development, and environmental sustainability, the UNWTO is the leading international organisation in the field of tourism, offering leadership and support to the sector in advancing knowledge and tourism policies worldwide.

Jamaica hosted the UNWTO conference in 2017.

Minister Bartlett is slated to return to the island on October 22.