KINGSTON, Jamaica (JIS) — Over 180 persons from 50 countries have already registered for the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) global conference to be held in Jamaica in November.

This was disclosed by Minister of Tourism, Edmund Bartlett, on Wednesday.

He was speaking at the signing of a contract with Jamaica National (JN) Group Limited for the management and execution of the conference, held at the Jamaica Conference Centre in downtown Kingston.

Jamaica will be hosting the three-day Global Conference on Partnerships for Jobs and Inclusive Growth through Sustainable Tourism from November 27 to 29 at the Montego Bay Convention Centre in St James.

Bartlett said JN Group’s expertise in financial and other areas of administration makes it a perfect fit to manage and execute “the most significant global conference to be held in the Western Hemisphere.”

“We are going to be showcasing this destination as the centrepiece for the world’s gaze (from) November 27 to 29,” he pointed out.

He noted that discussions will focus on, among other things, the future of tourism in the Caribbean, the importance of technology, and the role of the public and private sectors in building out the industry in order to enable greater retention of the tourism dollar in the Caribbean.

The minister noted that the conference will also feature a gala event to honour three global icons of tourism in the Caribbean from the cruise, hotel accommodation and aviation sectors.

He said that Jamaica is pleased to be a part of history as the event signals the first time that the UNWTO and its affiliate members will stage a world conference on tourism in the Caribbean or the Americas.

Chief Executive Officer, JN Group, Earl Jarrett, said the company is happy to be associated with the event, which will see over 1,000 delegates and guests from 150 countries coming to Jamaica.

“The JN Group will do its very best to ensure that Jamaica shows its very best at this conference and that we will be able to leverage it to the advantage of our country,” he said.

The global conference will bring together world leaders from the tourism industry along with Government representatives, donors and international development and finance organisations to design and coordinate an international road map and foster collaborative relationships for inclusive economic and social development, through tourism.

Participants will engage in plenary sessions and workshops in a range of subject matters pertinent to tourism, including development assistance and investment partnership opportunities.

The conference is being held in partnership with the Government of Jamaica and the World Bank Group.