Minister Bartlett outlines Tourism 3.0 vision at Caribbean Week in New York

Jamaica is entering a new phase of tourism development centered on workforce advancement, innovation and broader economic inclusion, Tourism Minister Edmund Bartlett said Monday as he unveiled the country's Tourism 3.0 framework during CTO Caribbean Week in New York.

Addressing regional tourism leaders and stakeholders, Bartlett highlighted the resilience of Jamaica's tourism sector, noting that the industry has continued to recover and grow despite a series of global disruptions in recent years.

“In every instance, the real resilience that is the essence of tourism manifested itself in Jamaica,” Bartlett said. “These disruptions have bent us a little bit, but they have not broken the spirit of the Jamaican people.”

The minister pointed to Jamaica's recovery following the COVID-19 pandemic, noting that within a year of reopening, the island welcomed more than one million visitors and generated US$1.5 billion in tourism earnings.

He also reflected on Jamaica's "5 x 5 x 5" growth strategy, which aimed to attract five million visitors and generate US$5 billion in tourism revenue within five years. Before global disruptions affected international travel, Jamaica had already reached 4.5 million visitors and US$4.3 billion in earnings within four years, he said.

“Now it is time for reimagining,” Bartlett said. “This reimagination has begun under the Tourism 3.0 framework.”

According to Bartlett, the new framework places a strong emphasis on human capital development, with training and professional certification serving as key pillars of the industry's future growth.

Through the Jamaica Centre of Tourism Innovation, more than 25,000 tourism workers have been trained and certified over the past seven years, strengthening the sector's workforce and enhancing service standards, he said.

The Ministry of Tourism has also established specialized academies focused on gastronomy and entertainment to create new opportunities for professional advancement. Bartlett noted that the first cohort of executive sous chefs recently graduated from the program, which he described as a significant step toward placing more Jamaicans in senior leadership positions within the industry.

“We are ensuring that Jamaican professionals take their rightful place in the leadership of the sector,” he said.

Bartlett also highlighted efforts to improve the long-term welfare of tourism workers. Since its launch approximately two and a half years ago, the Tourism Workers Pension Scheme has accumulated about J$6 billion in savings, providing financial security for thousands of employees in the sector.

In addition, the ministry continues to pursue housing initiatives aimed at expanding access to affordable housing for tourism workers, which Bartlett said is essential to sustainable tourism development.

He described Tourism 3.0 as a comprehensive strategy designed to strengthen Jamaica's tourism product while ensuring that the benefits of growth are more widely shared among workers and communities.

“Tourism 3.0 is about building a stronger, smarter and more inclusive tourism sector, which places our people at the center of development and ensures that the benefits of tourism are shared more broadly than ever before,” Bartlett said.

The minister expressed confidence that Jamaica's record of resilience, coupled with investments in people and innovation, will help position the island for continued growth in an increasingly competitive global tourism market.