TOURISM Minister Edmund Bartlett has been elected as the new chairman of the Organization of American States (OAS) Inter-American Committee on Tourism (CITUR).

Minister Bartlett came out ahead of candidates from Paraguay and Ecuador for the chairmanship at a meeting on Tuesday. Paraguay and Ecuador will serve as vice-chair of the committee.

Chair of the OAS Inter-American Council for Integral Development, Jamaica's Ambassador to the United States Audrey Marks congratulated Minister Bartlett on behalf of the member states.

“I wish you… much success in the work that you will be leading as we begin deliberations to prepare the draft work plan based on the Declaration of Paraguay towards the reconstruction and rebuilding of tourism post coronavirus,” she said.

Bartlett, in his response, called on all member states to work together to complete the plans and policy programmes that they had started. This, he said, “would require a greater sense of innovation, as we cannot continue with things as they are.

“We must now seek to find new ways to deal with new disruptions that seem destined to follow this pandemic”, he added.

Minister Bartlett thanked member states for the confidence placed in him by way of his election to the chair of the committee.

He pledged to be a strong, fruitful, and vibrant chairman and called for the support of each member state.

“We have so much to do, and I know the Americas are depending on us to chart the way to recovery and to thrive after recovery,” he said.