World Travel AwardsTM Announces New Category for Global Resilience

The organisers of the World Travel AwardsTM (WTA) have announced the creation of a special Global Resilience Award.

The announcement coincided with activities for the inaugural celebration of Global Tourism Resilience Day, which were hosted by Jamaica on February 17.

WTA Managing Director, Justin Cooke, made the disclosure during Friday’s (February 17) commemorative ceremony at the University of the West Indies (UWI) Regional Headquarters in St. Andrew.

The ceremony was part of events for the three-day Global Tourism Resilience Conference at the venue, from February 15 to 17.

Tourism Minister, Hon. Edmund Bartlett, who spearheaded the proposal for the Day’s celebration, welcomed the announcement as “perhaps the greatest statement of support that the resilience movement could have.”

“To have resilience included in the list of awards that will be provided for destinations and countries across the world is really a very humbling but satisfying development,” he stated.

The Minister noted that the WTA has an outstanding history of performance and global notoriety in “every important centre of the world” where tourism is featured.

“The World Travel AwardsTM is there to give credence and enable a sense of commitment and a sense of appreciation of excellence and high standards,” Mr. Bartlett pointed out.

In his remarks, Mr. Cooke said an overall new set of awards for the WTA resilience programmes will be added.

“We believe that by shining a light on those who are resetting the bar and leading the way in building resilience, we can play a small role in building a sustainable future for all,” the Managing Director pointed out.

Mr. Cooke joined other speakers addressing the ceremony, in extending congratulations to Minister Bartlett for his “tireless effort” in lobbying the United Nations’ declaration of February 17 as Global Tourism Resilience Day.

Meanwhile, the conference concluded with the reading of the Kingston Declaration for Tourism Resilience by Mr. Bartlett.

For his part, Executive Director of the Global Tourism Resilience and Crisis Management Centre at the UWI, Professor Lloyd Waller, said the effort expended in executing activities marking the inaugural global tourism resilience day, proved fruitful.

“The effort that everyone had to put in, is as a result of the desire to make this planet a better place and to facilitate sustainability. Global tourism resilience day is a constant reminder about ensuring that you build the resilience of the tourism space that can significantly contribute to the sustainability of the planet,” he stated.

The conference was organised by the Ministry of Tourism, Global Tourism Resilience and Crisis Management Centre, Caribbean Tourism Organization, Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association, International Tourism Investment Conference, Jacobs Media, and the World Travel AwardsTM.

The 2024 observance of Global Tourism Resilience Day will be held in Málaga, Spain, with whom Jamaica signed an agreement of collaboration during the conference.

Established in 1993, the World Travel AwardsTM acknowledges, rewards and celebrates excellence across all key sectors of the travel, tourism and hospitality industries.