KINGSTON, Jamaica |Jamaica is set to play a leading role in shaping the future of global tourism resilience as international stakeholders convene at Kenyatta University from February 16–18, 2026, for the Global Tourism Resilience and Crisis Management Centre (GTRCMC) Conference and Expo.
The high-level gathering comes at a critical time for the global tourism sector, which is facing unprecedented and interconnected threats—including climate shocks, cyber-attacks, misinformation, and systemic failures—that can devastate destinations faster than traditional physical disasters.
At the forefront of this global thought leadership is Edmund Bartlett, Jamaica’s Minister of Tourism and Founder and Co-Chair of the Global Tourism Resilience and Crisis Management Centre. Minister Bartlett emphasized that tourism resilience is no longer optional, but a development imperative with direct implications for employment, livelihoods, foreign exchange earnings, and community stability worldwide.
“Resilience is the new tourism currency,” Minister Bartlett said. “We are here to build it, measure it, and institutionalize it—so destinations remain credible under pressure and communities recover faster.”
The conference, hosted by the Government of Kenya, Kenyatta University, and the Eastern Global Tourism Resilience and Crisis Management Centre, will serve as a global capacity-building platform. Discussions will focus on policy frameworks, investment strategies, crisis response mechanisms, technological readiness, and workforce development in an era of fast-moving global risks.
Lloyd Waller, Executive Director of the GTRCMC, highlighted the organization’s role in advancing resilience as a formal tourism discipline.
“Over the years, the GTRCMC has helped shape global understanding by defining resilience as a discipline, developing practical tools and training programmes, convening strong public-private partnerships, and expanding a network of regional centres that respond to local realities,” Professor Waller said.
At a press briefing announcing the conference, Minister Bartlett outlined three guiding principles for the future of global tourism:
- Resilience is competitiveness– destinations that maintain credibility during disruption recover faster
- Resilience is systems– encompassing governance, early warning mechanisms, verification, cyber readiness, and proof-based recovery
- Resilience is global– risks cross borders, requiring coordinated international action
The conference will culminate on February 17, marking Global Tourism Resilience Day, with Minister Bartlett delivering the keynote address at 9:00 a.m. (Kenya time)under the theme:
“A Call for Resilience: Many Nations, One Africa – An African Tourism Vision.”
“Global tourism’s future must be built on systems of resilience, not hope,” Minister Bartlett emphasized, underscoring the urgent need for institutional capacity—particularly among tourism-dependent states—to withstand and recover from disruption.
The conference will address the reality that modern tourism disruptions are no longer isolated events, but interconnected threats capable of shutting down demand faster than traditional damage assessments can be completed.
For more information about Jamaica and the Global Tourism Resilience and Crisis Management Centre, visit www.visitjamaica.com and www.gtrcmc.org .
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