ST JAMES, Jamaica – Minister of Tourism, Edmund Bartlett, has lauded the newly-elected President of the Jamaica Hotel and Tourist Association (JHTA), hotelier Robin Russell, and immediate past President Clifton Reader, for their strong support of initiatives behind the successful recovery of the tourism industry from the devastating fallout caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

At the same time, Bartlett has committed the continued support of his ministry to the JHTA. Speaking on the heels of Saturday’s JHTA Annual General Meeting held at the Hilton Rose Hall in Montego Bay, Bartlett expressed his “deepest and strongest appreciation” to the newly-elected president. He stated that Russell, who is the proprietor of Deja Resort in Montego Bay, has been a long-standing entrepreneur and has done exceptionally well in the industry.

“He has also championed the cause of the industry as chairman of the Montego Bay Chapter (of the JHTA) and has gained the respect and the admiration of his peers to the extent of being now elevated to president of this very prestigious organisation,” Minister Bartlett noted in a release from the Ministry of Tourism.

He further stated: “The Government and the Ministry of Tourism wish to embrace his election and to offer him the fullest support so that he can succeed as the others have before him, and in his own way make his mark and excel in the way that we know he is quite capable.”

“We look forward to working with you and the rest of the team as together we complete this recovery stronger and better,” the tourism minister committed.

Turning his attention to Reader, Minister Bartlett thanked him “for the truly outstanding job he did as president during the most difficult period in the history of tourism in Jamaica and arguably the world.”

Reader, who served consecutive terms as president, was a critical partner along with the JHTA in the creation of a Resilient Corridor and implementation of health and safety protocols for the sector developed by the Ministry of Tourism in conjunction with the Ministry of Health and Wellness.

“The recovery that Jamaica has been able to achieve is in no small measure attributable to Clifton Reader’s leadership in the Jamaica Hotel and Tourist Association during the period,” declared Bartlett.

He further commended Reader, stating that “his tenacity, assiduity to duty, his knowledge of the industry and his willingness to share thoughts and consult, and to really walk with a team has really made him a truly remarkable player during the difficult two and a half years of COVID-19 in Jamaica.”

Reader was thanked publicly “for the excellent work that he did” and wished well in his new capacity as he takes on new leadership in his organisation – that of vice president of Palace Resorts Jamaica.