Minister of Tourism, Founder and Co-Chair of the Global Tourism Resilience and Crisis Management Centre, Hon Edmund Bartlett, makes his keynote presentation during the Canadian-Caribbean Tourism Resilience Symposium at George Brown University on Wednesday July 29, 2026
Jamaica’s Minister of Tourism, Hon. Edmund Bartlett has put plainly that the financing of resilience building is critical to protecting the livelihoods of tourism dependent countries and, ultimately, the future of tourism. In supporting resilience building in a real sense, destinations will be able to better prepare for, respond to, and recover from increasingly complex global crises, warning that the world has entered a new ‘Age of Resilience.’
Delivering the keynote address at the Canadian-Caribbean Tourism Resilience Symposium, Minister Bartlett said tourism must move beyond traditional recovery efforts and embrace a new model centred on anticipation, adaptation and inclusive financing. “The world has changed. Tourism must change with it,” Minister Bartlett declared. “We must move from reaction to anticipation, from vulnerability to transformation, from fragmented recovery to shared resilience,” he added.
Addressing an audience of government leaders, tourism stakeholders, academics and business executives, the Minister pointed to the convergence of climate change, geopolitical conflict, public health threats, cyber insecurity and artificial intelligence as creating an era of interconnected risks that no destination can face alone. Using Canada’s ongoing wildfire challenges as a powerful example of shared global vulnerability, Minister Bartlett stressed that tourism resilience is no longer simply about rebuilding after disasters but redesigning tourism systems to withstand future shocks.
A central feature of the address was the establishment of a permanent Global Tourism Resilience Fund that would support the full resilience cycle—from preparedness and climate adaptation to crisis response, recovery, and long-term transformation. The proposed fund would place special emphasis on supporting micro, small, and medium-sized tourism enterprises (MSMEs), which Minister Bartlett described as “the soul of the tourism industry.”
“Financing MSMEs is not charity. It is productive investment, social protection, and regional development combined. The recovery of the smallest enterprise is often the shortest route to the recovery of the widest community,” he said.
Minister Bartlett also underscored the growing role of artificial intelligence in strengthening tourism resilience, noting its potential to improve disaster preparedness, visitor management, crisis communications, and destination planning. However, he cautioned that AI must be developed responsibly to benefit small businesses and communities rather than deepen existing inequalities. “AI should amplify human capability, not erase human dignity,” he emphasized.
Highlighting Jamaica’s leadership in resilience, Minister Bartlett outlined the continued evolution of the Global Tourism Resilience and Crisis Management Centre (GTRCMC), which he founded, into a global resilience intelligence platform connecting governments, researchers, businesses and international institutions to better anticipate and manage future disruptions.
He also proposed to strengthen Canada-Jamaica collaboration through resilience financing, artificial intelligence innovation, and investment in tourism resilience initiatives, suggesting the two countries are well-positioned to lead the global conversation on resilient tourism development.
Concluding his address, Minister Bartlett urged governments, international organizations, investors, and development partners to shift their focus from simply rebuilding after crises to financing resilience before disasters occur. “Finance resilience, not merely reconstruction. Protect livelihoods, not merely assets. Build intelligence, not merely infrastructure. Place people, not merely properties, at the centre of recovery,” he noted.
The Canadian-Caribbean Tourism Resilience Symposium brought together leaders from both regions to explore innovative solutions for strengthening the resilience and sustainability of the tourism sector in an increasingly uncertain global environment.
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