Minister of Tourism, Hon Edmund Bartlett, and one of the Caribbean’s most influential voices in global travel and tourism, has issued a bold call to action to the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), urging member states to formally recognise tourism as the region’s single largest economic activity and to act collectively to protect, develop, and future-proof the industry.
Speaking ahead of the start of Caribbean Travel Marketplace in Antigua and Barbuda, Minister Bartlett noted that while tourism contributes more than 40 per cent of GDP across several Caribbean economies and supports the livelihoods of millions of citizens, it is still not a core priority of CARICOM’s strategic agenda. “Tourism is not a secondary consideration — it is the economic backbone of the Caribbean. The time has come for CARICOM to treat it as such, with the urgency, resources, and political will the sector demands,” said the Minister.
He underscored that tourism is far more than hospitality. Across the Caribbean, the sector is the engine powering aviation, agriculture, creative industries, construction, financial services, and small business development. He argued that CARICOM’s integration agenda cannot reach its full potential if it continues to treat tourism as a peripheral matter rather than the region’s principal economic driver.
“We cannot speak credibly about economic integration while leaving our largest industry to navigate global headwinds alone,” Minister Bartlett stated. “CARICOM must establish a dedicated, high-level tourism mandate — with binding commitments, coordinated policies, and shared investment frameworks — that reflects the weight the industry carries in every member state.”
Minister Bartlett outlined some critical areas where he believes coordinated CARICOM action is both necessary and overdue including a Regional Tourism Strategy; Visa and Travel Facilitation; creation of a Resilience Fund; Digital Transformation and Human Capital Development. Building capacity for the region to own the supply side of tourism is also imperative to ensuring less leakage and more retention on every dollar earned.
“The world’s leading destinations do not succeed in isolation,” the Minister observed. “Our diversity is our strength — but only if we harness it together under a CARICOM framework that puts tourism at the very top of our collective agenda.”
In reinforcing the importance of a regional tourism mandate, Minister Bartlett confirmed that Jamaica will continue engaging counterparts across the region to build consensus for a Caribbean tourism integration agenda.