KINGSTON, Jamaica – Jamaica’s Tourism Minister, Edmund Bartlett, has been appointed co-chair of World Economic Forum Tourism Day 2026 that will be held in Geneva on September 26.
Edmund Bartlett“I am deeply honored to serve as co-chair of World Economic Forum Tourism Day. Tourism is no longer just a leisure sector, it is economic infrastructure, cultural infrastructure, and resilience infrastructure for nations everywhere.
“At a time of climate shocks, geopolitical uncertainty and rapid technological change, our industry must move from simply managing crises to building systems that prevent them and help communities thrive in their aftermath,” said Bartlett.
World Economic Forum Tourism Day brings together heads of state, chief executive officers and the world’s foremost tourism leaders to set the international agenda for travel and hospitality.
The Jamaica Tourist Board (JTB) said that Bartlett’s appointment to co-chair the 2026 edition affirms Jamaica’s standing not merely as a destination, but as an architect of the ideas now guiding the sector worldwide.
“The appointment builds on nearly a decade of thought leadership from the Global Tourism Resilience and Crisis Management Centre (GTRCMC), which Bartlett established as the world’s first center dedicated to tourism resilience, training, research and crisis response,” the JTB said.
The Jamaica-based GTRCMC works across more than 30 countries and institutions, it has become a global reference point for building capacity and reducing vulnerability in tourism-dependent economies—from small island states to major world markets.
“Jamaica and the GTRCMC stand ready to work with the World Economic Forum and partners across the globe to advance resilient, inclusive and innovative tourism for people and planet,” added Bartlett.
