KINGSTON, Jamaica — Minister of Tourism Edmund Bartlett is set to launch his book, Destination Reputational Resilience, on Tuesday, February 17, a timely and strategic new publication that addresses one of the most urgent challenges facing global tourism — safeguarding destination reputation in an era of accelerating digital disruption.

Written by Bartlett and Executive Director of the Global Tourism Resilience and Crisis Management Centre, Professor Lloyd Waller, the book is expected to deliver a structured and actionable framework to help destinations prepare for, manage and recover from emerging digital threats.

“In today’s hyperconnected world, a destination’s reputation can be strengthened or severely damaged in a matter of minutes. Destination Reputational Resilience provides the strategic blueprint that ministers, policymakers and tourism leaders need to anticipate digital shocks, manage crises effectively and rebuild trust with transparency and proof. Resilience is no longer optional — it is the defining competitive advantage of modern tourism,” Bartlett said in a media release.

The minister emphasised that as tourism becomes increasingly digitised through online booking platforms, digital marketing ecosystems, artificial intelligence tools and integrated data systems, destinations must adopt comprehensive resilience strategies that extend beyond physical and climate-related disruptions to include cyber and reputational risks.

Bartlett noted that for tourism-dependent economies such as Jamaica, reputation is among the most valuable national assets.

“Tourism operates on trust. Visitors choose destinations not only for their beauty and experiences, but for confidence in safety, reliability and authenticity. Protecting that trust must now include digital vigilance,” he said.

Meanwhile, Professor Waller said, “The publication is designed for ministers of tourism, destination management organisations (DMOs), tourism executives, researchers and industry leaders seeking to strengthen governance frameworks in a rapidly evolving digital environment.”

From cyberattacks and misinformation to fake news, privacy breaches and digital system failures, the publication outlines practical strategies that enable tourism stakeholders to protect credibility, restore trust and leverage innovation responsibly.

The book provides guidance for destinations to prepare for digital disruptions before they occur; manage real-time digital crises strategically; protect and defend destination credibility under pressure; recover trust through evidence-based communication; and integrate generative artificial intelligence (AI) responsibly as part of crisis response and reputation management.

The book is timely as the minister leads strategic discussions at the 4th Global Tourism Resilience Day Conference and Expo being held in Nairobi, Kenya, from February 16-18, where global tourism leaders will convene.

Bartlett is encouraging regional and international stakeholders to integrate the book’s framework into national tourism policies and crisis management systems.

“As we look to the future of global travel, the destinations that thrive will be those that anticipate disruption, respond with integrity and innovate responsibly. This book equips leaders to do exactly that,” he said.