Jamaica’s tourism minister Edmund Bartlett to receive Tourism ICON honor in Africa
Key Points(5)
- Jamaica’s Minister of Tourism Edmund Bartlett will be honored as a Tourism ICON at the PYNE Awards Africa 2026, recognizing his work in tourism resilience and efforts to strengthen partnerships between Africa, the Caribbean and the wider Global South.
- Bartlett is scheduled to receive the honor during the PYNE Awards Africa 2026, which will take place September 24-26 in Maputo, Mozambique.
- The awards recognize leaders across Africa, the Caribbean and the diaspora for contributions to innovation, youth empowerment, economic development and resilience.
- The recognition highlights Bartlett’s role in promoting tourism resilience as a global development priority, according to the Ministry of Tourism.
- Among his major initiatives is the establishment of the Global Tourism Resilience and Crisis Management Centre in Jamaica, which provides a platform for tourism destinations to prepare for and recover from disruptions including climate change, pandemics and geopolitical shocks.
Jamaica’s Minister of Tourism Edmund Bartlett will be honored as a Tourism ICON at the PYNE Awards Africa 2026, recognizing his work in tourism resilience and efforts to strengthen partnerships between Africa, the Caribbean and the wider Global South.
Bartlett is scheduled to receive the honor during the PYNE Awards Africa 2026, which will take place September 24-26 in Maputo, Mozambique.
The awards recognize leaders across Africa, the Caribbean and the diaspora for contributions to innovation, youth empowerment, economic development and resilience.
The recognition highlights Bartlett’s role in promoting tourism resilience as a global development priority, according to the Ministry of Tourism.
Among his major initiatives is the establishment of the Global Tourism Resilience and Crisis Management Centre in Jamaica, which provides a platform for tourism destinations to prepare for and recover from disruptions including climate change, pandemics and geopolitical shocks.
Bartlett also advocated for the United Nations designation of February 17 as Global Tourism Resilience Day, elevating resilience as a key issue in international tourism policy.
“This recognition from Africa, in the beautiful nation of Mozambique, is deeply significant,” Bartlett said. “It affirms that resilience is a shared language between the Caribbean and Africa.”
He said both regions face similar challenges, including climate threats, economic vulnerabilities and development pressures, making greater cooperation important.
“From Maputo to Montego Bay, we face many of the same climate threats, economic vulnerabilities and development challenges, and we must build solutions together,” Bartlett said.
The recognition comes as African and Caribbean destinations seek to strengthen their tourism sectors while attracting investment and creating more economic opportunities for local communities and young people.
Bartlett has promoted a tourism development model that emphasizes communities, youth, innovation and the needs of small states, while calling for greater international cooperation and investment in countries’ capacity to withstand and recover from global disruptions.
The three-day PYNE Awards Africa event in Maputo is expected to bring together government leaders, ministers, business executives, investors, youth leaders and other stakeholders to discuss African leadership, investment, innovation and tourism development.
The award also highlights the growing relationship between Africa and the Caribbean and Jamaica’s efforts to position tourism resilience as part of a broader strategy for inclusive and sustainable economic development.
