MONTEGO BAY, St James — Minister of Tourism Edmund Bartlett says Jamaica is working with Saudi Arabia to develop an innovative insurance arrangement that will provide financial protection for tourism workers in the event of a disaster.

The proposed initiative would provide tourism workers with financial support ahead of, and following, a disruptive event, helping them to recover when disasters interrupt their livelihoods.

Addressing the long-delayed Tourism Excellence Awards for 2019 at the Montego Bay Convention Centre on Saturday, Bartlett said discussions are already under way with partners in Saudi Arabia following his recent visit to that country.

“I’m working on one final element of resilience to close what we call the resilience gap, and that is the absence of cash and resources to build back after disruption,” Bartlett said.

He noted that tourism workers are among those most immediately affected when disasters strike, yet often have no financial cushion to help them recover.

The tourism minister explained that the proposed arrangement would use scientific assessments, technology and data to determine when payments should be triggered, rather than relying solely on the conventional insurance claims process.

“And we are working together to provide support to enable a type of policy arrangement, which the insurance people are accustomed to it, but we don’t get it for workers,” he said.

“We have to look at how do we create a policy for our workers that will anticipate disruption and trigger a payment on the basis of science and what the technology, as well as the data, suggest. And then after the event — if it happens — to trigger a final payment for recovery,” added Bartlett.

Marsha Wiles of Mystic Mountain, the 2019 National Individual Champion, receives her award from Tourism Minister Edmund Bartlett (left), while TPDCo Chairman Ian Dear looks on, at the Tourism Excellence Awards held at the Montego Bay Convention Centre on Saturday night. (Photo: Horace Hines)

He said the model, known as parametric insurance, would represent a Jamaican innovation aimed at strengthening the financial security of people employed in the tourism sector.

The proposed scheme forms part of a broader thrust by Bartlett to establish a more comprehensive support system for tourism workers, extending beyond skills development and employment opportunities to their long-term welfare and security.

Bartlett pointed to the establishment of the Jamaica Centre for Tourism Innovation (JCTI) in 2017 as a major intervention in developing the industry’s human capital. The centre was created to provide recognised qualifications for experienced workers who had acquired practical skills but lacked formal certification, allowing them greater opportunities for career advancement and international mobility.

He said Jamaica’s approach to tourism training had attracted international recognition, with UN Tourism utilising the country’s programme and arrangements with the American Hotel and Lodging Educational Institute to develop training and certification initiatives globally.

The minister also highlighted the Tourism Workers’ Pension Scheme, which was conceived after he encountered a 78-year-old man working as a luggage porter at the Norman Manley International Airport in 2010.

“I said to him, ‘Why are you still doing this?’ He said, ‘If I don’t, I won’t have anything to eat.’ I looked at PS (permanent secretary) and I said, ‘Something is wrong with that picture. We have to change it,’” Bartlett recalled.

He said that encounter prompted the development of the pension scheme, which now has approximately 11,000 members and $6 billion in accumulated savings.

Executive director of the Tourism Product Development Company (TPDCo) Wade Mars shares the moment with permanent secretary in the Ministry of Tourism Jennifer Griffith, who was given a citation for her role in coordinating the sustainable tourism master plan and establishing the Tourism Enhancement Fund and the Tourism Workers’ Pension Scheme, during the Tourism Excellence Awards at the Montego Bay Convention Centre on Saturday night. (Photo: Horace Hines)

Bartlett said the Government was also pursuing housing solutions for tourism employees, while examining the possibility of introducing health maintenance organisation (HMO) arrangements to improve their access to health care.

He linked these initiatives to the industry’s ability to sustain its competitive advantage, and argued that Jamaica’s 42 per cent repeat visitor rate was not attributable solely to its physical attractions and tourism infrastructure, but also to the quality of service delivered by its workforce.

The tourism minister described the country’s emphasis on people-centred hospitality as a critical component of its international appeal.

According to Bartlett, the warmth and personal attention provided by Jamaican workers were qualities that competitors could not easily reproduce.

Bartlett said the recognition of excellence in tourism was therefore much more than an awards-night exercise, but reflected a fundamental part of the country’s destination offering.

“It’s something that is endemic in the product itself and is a critical part of Jamaica’s presentation to the world as a destination where you can have a safe, secure, and seamless experience,” added Bartlett.

Returning in 2026 after a hiatus, under the theme “Chosen Gems of Jamaica,” Saturday’s awards featured 25 finalists — 13 individuals and 12 organisations. The finalists represented sectors ranging from accommodation and attractions to transportation and craft. One individual and one organisation were named the winners.

The Joy Spence Appleton Rum Experience was named the 2019 National Organisational Champions, while Marsha Wiles from Mystic Mountain was declared the 2019 National Individual Champion.