ST JAMES, Jamaica — With the Caribbean being the most tourism-reliant region worldwide, where the industry contributes some 22 per cent of gross domestic product (GDP) and supports 2.75 million jobs, Minister of Tourism, Edmund Bartlett, says factors that threaten the sustainability of the industry must be tackled urgently.

At the same time, he is delighted that the region has been recovering from the disruptions brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic and adverse weather conditions.

He told hundreds of travel advisors on Sunday that, “In 2024, the region saw a strong tourism rebound, with a 6.1 per cent increase in international tourist arrivals compared to 2023, reaching 34.2 million. This also represented a 6.9 per cent increase over pre-pandemic levels in 2019.”

To underscore the impact, he pointed out that the region suffered a 65 per cent decline in visitor arrivals in 2020.

Giving an overview of tourism in the region in a keynote address at the 4th Annual American Society of Travel Advisors (ASTA) Caribbean Showcase at Sandals South Coast, Minister Bartlett also pointed to the resilience of the industry, supported by the fact that “despite these challenges, the Caribbean achieved the fastest recovery of any region worldwide”.

Jamaica’s Minister of Tourism, Edmund Bartlett addresses hundreds of travel advisors at the 4th Annual American Society of Travel Advisors (ASTA), at Sandals South Coast, on Sunday, August 24, 2025. Among his audience (seated right to left at head table) are: President and CEO of ASTA, Zane Kerby; CBS News Travel Editor, Peter Greenberg; COO Unique Vacations Inc, Andy Blanco; Secretary-General and CEO of the Caribbean Tourism Organization, Mrs. Dona Regis-Prosper; Ministers of Tourism: GP Ian Gooding-Edghill of Barbados; Adrian Thomas of Grenada; Carlos James of St Vincent & the Grenadines; Dr Ernest Hilaire, Deputy Prime Minister of St Lucia; Jamaica’s Director of Tourism, Donovan White; and Executive VP of Sales & Industry Relations, Unique Vacations, Gary Sadler.

That notwithstanding, the minister is concerned that the region continues to face challenges.

“Our tourism-reliant economies make us susceptible to internal and external shocks. We are more vulnerable to climate change and natural disasters, including rising sea levels, more frequent and intense hurricanes and coral reef degradation,” he underscored.

Other threats including geopolitical factors, ongoing instability in key source markets, as well as high costs and limited intra-regional travel options have also been underlined by Bartlett as threats to regional tourism, as he issued a call that: “We must confront sustainable tourism practices more urgently than ever before.”

Noting that several ministers of tourism were attending the ASTA gathering, he said essentially, “the Caribbean’s strength lies in its unity” and by working together with harmonised policies, “we can enhance connectivity, standardise quality across the region and create seamless travel experiences that encourage visitors to explore multiple islands, unlocking new opportunities for growth and cultural exchange”.

Among the other ministers of tourism in attendance were Deputy Prime Minister of St Lucia, Dr Ernest Hilaire; GP Ian Gooding-Edghill of Barbados; Carlos James of St Vincent & the Grenadines and Adrian Thomas from Grenada.

Minister Bartlett said their presence “demonstrated a unique spirit of cooperation, moving us from competition to ‘copetition’ within the region”.

He said COVID-19 had taught a lesson that “we compete at our own peril and we ‘copete’ at our own glory; we become better, stronger if we ‘copete’ moving forward”.