‘Global Conference on Jobs and Inclusive Growth: Partnerships for Sustainable Tourism’ to be held in Montego Bay, Jamaica from November 27 to 29.
Global tourism
Jamaica’s Tourism Minister Edmund Bartlett, says the upcoming global conference will explore partnerships and avenues for sustainable tourism, and showcase destination Jamaica to the world.
Speaking with the Government’s news agency, the Jamacia Information Service (JIS), Bartlett said the conference is intended to foster a forum for governments, investors, donors and development organizations to exchange development and investment opportunities; share proven best practices for developing public-private partnerships (PPP) in tourism; and work with governments to prepare innovative tourism PPP investment opportunities that prioritize sustainability, economic inclusion and poverty alleviation.
The conference, he added, will provide the forum for discussions on social inclusiveness, employment and poverty-reduction strategies that have been employed with success by the various entities.
It will examine the policy and framework, legislative and regulatory arrangements, innovative partnerships and best practices to enable sustainability.
The event, dubbed: ‘Global Conference on Jobs and Inclusive Growth: Partnerships for Sustainable Tourism’, is being hosted by the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), the Government of Jamaica, World Bank Group and Inter-American Development Bank from November 27 to 29 at the Montego Bay Convention Centre, in the western parish of St. James.
Three days of insightful, results=oriented discussions
“It will be three days of insightful and results-oriented discussions on sustainability by leading regional and international speakers,” the Tourism Minister highlighted, adding that the event will bring together hundreds of high-level decision makers in tourism from more than 60 countries “to design an international road map and foster collaborative partnerships for inclusive economic and social development.”
Bartlett said that the conference will also focus on jobs and growth, with leaders of the cruise industry sitting at the same table with their land-based counterparts, discussing critical matters related to tourism.
Declaration of Montego Bay
He said one of the key outcomes of the conference will be the Declaration of Montego Bay document, which will form the blueprint for sustainable tourism development globally.
“All eyes will be on the tourism capital of Montego Bay. The region, and, by extension, the Americas, has never seen anything like this. There has never been a gathering of this nature, of key leaders in tourism who will be looking at best practices and how we can bring ideas and resources together,” Bartlett said.
Key speakers
Some of the key speakers confirmed for the conference include President of the Dominican Republic, Danilo Medina; Prime Minister of Jamaica Andrew Holness; Vice-President for Countries, Inter-American Development Bank, Alexandre Meira da Rosa; Secretary General of the Organization of American States (OAS), Luis Almagro; CEO of the Inter-American Investment Corporation (IIC), James Scriven; President and CEO of the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC), Gloria Guevara Manzo; and UNWTO Secretary-General, Taleb Rifai.
Conference collaborators include the Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO); the Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association (CHTA); private international development company, Chemonics International; and the George Washington University of the United States.
