KINGSTON, Jamaica — Tourism Minister Edmund Bartlett was acknowledged with the Global Tourism Resilience Lifetime Achievement Award at the 4th Global Tourism Resilience Day 2026, held at the Safari Park Hotel in Nairobi on February 17, 2026.

The prestigious award recognises Bartlett’s pioneering leadership in developing global tourism resilience frameworks and advancing crisis preparedness and recovery efforts worldwide.

His work has helped position resilience as a central pillar of sustainable tourism development, ensuring that destinations are better equipped to withstand and recover from disruptions including natural disasters, pandemics, economic shocks, and other global crises.

Over the years, Minister Bartlett has championed international collaboration, policy innovation and capacity-building initiatives designed to safeguard tourism — one of the world’s most vital economic sectors.

In accepting the award, the minister reaffirmed his commitment to fostering resilient tourism systems that empower communities, protect livelihoods and drive long-term economic stability. He emphasised the importance of “continued global cooperation to build adaptive frameworks capable of responding to emerging challenges in an increasingly interconnected world”.

“This award is testament to the enduring and vigorous work that we have been doing through the Global Tourism Resilience and Crisis Management Centre in Jamaica. I thank all our public and private partners who understand the importance of a resilient tourism industry,” Bartlett added.

“His efforts have strengthened partnerships among governments, private sector stakeholders and global institutions, promoting strategies that support recovery, sustainability and inclusive growth across many tourism-dependent economies. This is a huge win for the minister and Jamaica,” said Professor Waller, executive director of the Global Tourism Resilience and Crisis Management Centre.

The Global Tourism Resilience Lifetime Achievement Award is conferred upon leaders whose contributions have had a transformative and lasting impact on the global tourism industry.