KINGSTON, Jamaica – Minister of Tourism Edmund Bartlett left Jamaica today for the 58th Meeting of the UNWTO Commission for Africa and Sustainable Tourism Conference & Symposium on “Accelerating the Shift towards Sustainable Consumption and Production (SCP) Patterns”, being held in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire.

Bartlett, who is also chairman of the Board of Directors of the United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) Affiliates Executive Council, said that his attendance, funded by the UNWTO, will assist him in his goal of positioning Jamaica as a centre for tourism leaders to examine global issues and ultimately make Jamaica the “Davos” of tourism.

He also noted that he has been invited to other critical UNWTO meetings in Cuba, Spain and Japan.

The meeting in Abidjan will highlight initiatives accelerating the shift to SCP in tourism development and in other sectors, and offer an opportunity to ensure that tourism contributes effectively to sustainable development within the framework of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and beyond.

The conference agenda provides tourism stakeholders with a networking platform and with the opportunity to showcase their commitment to drive the change in SCP. The format of the events will be a combination of plenary sessions, interactive panels and round table discussions, where examples of best practices from SCP-related projects and activities will be presented and discussed.

Balford Henry