Global Tourism Resilience Conference Set for February

Edmund Bartlett (center), with Jennifer Griffith (left), permanent secretary in the Ministry of Tourism, and professor Lloyd Waller, executive director of the Global Tourism Resilience and Crisis Management Centre. (Photo Credit: Jamaica Tourist Board)

This year’s third annual Global Tourism Resilience Conference and Expo will bring global tourism leaders together to discuss strategies for successful destination management and digital resilience, said Edmund Bartlett, Jamaica’s tourism minister and founder of the Global Tourism Resilience and Crisis Management Centre (GTRCMC).

The conference will take place on Feb. 17 to 19 at the Princess Grand and adjacent Princess Senses, The Mangrove resorts, Bartlett said in a briefing in Montego Bay, Jamaica this week. The gathering is particularly prescient as tourism-reliant destinations face mounting digital and environmental threats, he said.

“Our conference will explore cutting edge technologies and strategies that are crucial for the tourism sector’s adaptability and long-term sustainability, especially in the wake of recent global challenges,” Bartlett said.

He added, “It has never been more important to tap into the expertise of leaders and innovators to collaboratively discuss issues that are central to future-proofing travel and tourism worldwide.”

The first day of conference sessions will explore “introducing innovations such as AI, cyber security, augmented and virtual reality and the internet of things,” Bartlett said.

A second day will be dedicated to “exploring the integration of digital technology with the blue economy; this includes a special focus on sustainable marine and coastal tourism,” he said.

Subsequent panels and roundtables will “delve into innovative financial solutions, featuring key insights from the International Tourism Investment Corporation Limited, to discuss mechanisms that support investment in digital excellence.”

Bartlett said other discussions will cover the strategic application of digital solutions, improving resilience and sustainability across tourism destinations and leveraging AI for effective resource management and disaster preparedness.

Cyber security is of particular importance as Bartlett said most Caribbean nations are not equipped to confront digital threats.

“Late last year we did have a cyber incident which impacted aviation sector and impacted air seats for Jamaica,” he said. “So it’s not a matter of whether it will happen, it’s a reality that is happening.”

Tourism’s sustainable future is of critical importance of nations reliant on the industry as an economic engine, Bartlett said at the briefing.

“Tourism has been the industry that has transformed so many countries, so many communities,” he said, adding that tourism “employs 11 percent of all the workers of the world and 10 percent of global GDP.”

Said Bartlett, “Sleepy fishing villages have been transformed almost overnight to bustling areas of commercial activity, providing jobs and economic well-being for thousands and thousands of people.”

Rajan Datar, host of the BBC’s award-winning “The Travel Show” will serve as the conference’s emcee. Panelists are expected to feature representatives from organizations and companies including the World Bank, United Nations World Tourism Organization, American Airlines, Carnival Corporation, Mastercard and the Inter-American Development Bank.

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