KINGSTON, Jamaica—Minister of Tourism Edmund Bartlett departed the island Tuesday morning for Toronto, Canada, to lead a targeted, multi-city marketing blitz aimed at securing bookings for Jamaica’s critical 2026/2027 winter tourist season.

Accompanied by Director of Tourism, Donovan White, and other members of the Jamaica Tourist Board (JTB) team, Bartlett will engage travel trade partners, tourism stakeholders and media across Toronto, Calgary, Edmonton, Winnipeg and Montreal, taking Jamaica’s destination message directly into key Canadian markets at a pivotal time in the country’s post-Hurricane Melissa recovery.

With approximately 400,000 airline seats available from Canada for the upcoming winter season, the mission is focused on converting expanded airlift into actual bookings, visitor arrivals and tourism earnings.

The programme combines destination presentations and product launches with media interviews, travel industry networking and relationship-building engagements designed to keep Jamaica competitive and top of mind among Canadian travellers.

“Every seat that comes into Jamaica represents an opportunity, but that opportunity is only realised when it becomes a booking, a visitor and spending that reaches our people,” said Bartlett.

Minister of Tourism, Hon Edmund Bartlett, (R) pauses for a moment with (L-R) Director of Tourism, Donovan White and Angella Bennett Regional Director, Canada, following a successful Destination Update Seminar held in Toronto on Friday October 23, 2026.

“As we continue rebuilding following Hurricane Melissa, we must be deliberate about protecting demand for Jamaica and ensuring that the benefits of tourism are sustained across our economy. That means supporting our hotels as they recover, but it also means creating business for our farmers, craft vendors, transportation providers, entertainers, tour operators and the many small businesses whose livelihoods depend on visitors choosing Jamaica,” he added.

“Our approach is to meet the market where it is. We are engaging the people who influence travel decisions, the advisors who recommend destinations, the media that shape perceptions and the partners whose confidence helps bring visitors to our shores. This is about demonstrating the range of local experiences, communicating developments across our tourism product and making it easier for travellers to choose Jamaica. As we work to recover and rebuild, tourism marketing must remain purposeful, responsive and directly connected to the economic well-being of our people,” Bartlett stressed.

The programme begins in Toronto with the JTB’s Fall/Winter 2026 Greater Toronto Area Destination Update Seminar on Friday, October 23. The engagement will bring Jamaica’s destination message to travel trade partners, alongside media interview opportunities.

The Toronto programme also includes participation in the Diaspora Impact Awards Ceremony and, on Saturday, October 24, Toronto’s fourth annual Black North Initiative Excellence Gala.

The delegation moves to Calgary on Sunday, October 25, ahead of media interviews and the JTB’s Calgary Product Launch on Monday, October 26. The event will feature presentations on Destination Jamaica and a networking reception with tourism partners and stakeholders, providing a platform to highlight the destination’s winter offerings and strengthen relationships with those who connect Canadian travellers to Jamaica.

On Tuesday, October 27, Bartlett and the team will continue to Edmonton for the Fall/Winter 2026 Destination Presentation. The engagement will give travel trade partners an opportunity to receive updates on Jamaica’s tourism offering and discuss opportunities to grow business from Alberta.

The programme continues in Winnipeg on Wednesday, October 28, with the JTB’s Fall/Winter 2026 Destination Product Launch and media engagements. Together, the Calgary, Edmonton and Winnipeg activities place direct attention on Western Canada, strengthening destination awareness and reinforcing trade relationships in markets with opportunities to contribute to Jamaica’s winter visitor business.

On Thursday, October 29, the final leg takes the delegation to Montreal where the focus will include French-language television, radio and digital media interviews, as well as trade media engagement tailored to the Quebec market. A meeting with a Transat representative and an interview with Profession Voyage will further support outreach to industry partners and French-speaking audiences.

The minister is scheduled to return to Jamaica on Friday, October 30, ahead of the highly anticipated return of the Tourism Service Excellence Awards (TSEA) on Saturday, October 31 at the Montego Bay Convention Centre.

“After a week of promoting Jamaica to the Canadian market, I look forward to returning home in time to celebrate the very people who bring our promise to life at the Tourism Service Excellence Awards.

Our tourism workers are the backbone of this industry and the heartbeat of the Jamaican experience we share with the world. Their warmth, professionalism and commitment are central to what makes Jamaica special. The work we are doing in Canada is therefore about much more than marketing a vacation; it is about helping to secure the business that sustains their jobs, supports their families and creates economic opportunities for communities across Jamaica,” added Bartlett.