Jamaica to host World Travel Week in Negril in October
Pictured: Minister of Tourism, Hon Edmund Bartlett, announces that Jamaica will host World Travel Week October 12-15, 2026, at the World Travel Awards Middle East Gala Ceremony at the One and Only One Za'abeel hotel in Dubai on September 13, 2026.
Key Points(5)
- Jamaica will host World Travel Week 2026 from Oct.
- 10-15 at Princess Resorts in Negril, bringing global tourism leaders and stakeholders to the island for a series of major industry events.
- Tourism Minister Edmund Bartlett announced the event while attending the World Travel Awards Middle East Gala Ceremony in Dubai on Sunday, describing Jamaica’s selection as a reflection of the country’s growing role in shaping the global tourism industry.
- “This is a statement that Jamaica is ready, willing, and able to lead the global conversation on the future of travel,” Bartlett said.
- World Travel Week will bring together regional and international tourism partners, private-sector stakeholders and academic institutions, with discussions expected to focus heavily on tourism resilience, innovation and the industry's response to global disruptions.
Jamaica will host World Travel Week 2026 from Oct. 10-15 at Princess Resorts in Negril, bringing global tourism leaders and stakeholders to the island for a series of major industry events.
Tourism Minister Edmund Bartlett announced the event while attending the World Travel Awards Middle East Gala Ceremony in Dubai on Sunday, describing Jamaica’s selection as a reflection of the country’s growing role in shaping the global tourism industry.
“This is a statement that Jamaica is ready, willing, and able to lead the global conversation on the future of travel,” Bartlett said.
World Travel Week will bring together regional and international tourism partners, private-sector stakeholders and academic institutions, with discussions expected to focus heavily on tourism resilience, innovation and the industry's response to global disruptions.
The week will include the World Travel Awards, World MICE Awards, World Culinary Awards, World Social Media Awards, World Travel Tech Awards, World Cruise Awards, World Villa Awards, 10 Best Showcase and Global Tourism Resilience Awards.
During his visit to Dubai, Bartlett also unveiled the Tourism Resilience Awards, a new initiative that will recognize individuals, businesses and communities in Jamaica and across the wider region that have demonstrated resilience in the face of hurricanes, the COVID-19 pandemic and economic and climate-related shocks.
“Tourism resilience is not an abstract concept to us. It is a lived reality,” Bartlett said, pointing to hotel workers, tour operators and guesthouse owners who helped keep Jamaica's tourism industry operating through periods of crisis.
He said the initiative would also provide an avenue for Jamaica to document and share lessons and best practices with other destinations.
“World Travel Week gives us an opportunity to share that knowledge, showcase our innovation and connect with global partners on solutions that will strengthen tourism for the future,” Bartlett said.
The tourism minister said Jamaica's experiences recovering from major disruptions have positioned the country to contribute to wider discussions about building a more resilient global tourism sector.
“This is where we will show them why Jamaica does not just recover from challenges — we bounce forward,” he said.
Director of Tourism Donovan White said hosting the gathering would also give Jamaica an opportunity to showcase its tourism product to an international audience.
“Jamaica has earned its place as one of the world’s most recognised tourism destinations and hosting World Travel Week will showcase our exemplary hospitality and world class experiences,” White said.
World Travel Week forms part of the World Travel Awards platform, which was established in 1993 to recognize excellence across the global travel, tourism and hospitality industries.
Jamaica has been a frequent winner at the awards. In 2024, the country was named the World's Leading Cruise Destination and World's Leading Family Destination for the fifth consecutive year, while the Jamaica Tourist Board was named the Caribbean's Leading Tourist Board for the 17th consecutive year.
