Jamaica’s Minister of Tourism, Edmund Bartlett provides Hurricane Melissa update

As Jamaica prepares for the impact of Hurricane Melissa, the island’s Tourism Minister, Edmund Bartlett provided an update on its preparations to its international travel trade partners.

In his message, Minister Bartlett said that the government and the Ministry of Tourism, in close collaboration with the Jamaica Tourist Board (JTB) and our industry partners, has been fully mobilized to safeguard the wellbeing of our visitors and tourism workers.

The Minister writes: “Over the past 24 hours, we have maintained continuous communication with the Jamaica Tourist Board (JTB), the Jamaica Hotel and Tourist Association (JHTA), as well as our airline and accommodation partners to coordinate the structured and orderly departure of guests from the island. This process will remain in effect until our airports are officially closed.”

He advises that he has met with key stakeholders to assess the industry’s state of readiness, and another meeting is scheduled for today [Oct. 26] to ensure “we remain fully informed and responsive as the situation evolves.”

Minister Bartlett continues that: “We have also maintained close contact with all our major airline partners, many of whom have facilitated additional flights and deployed larger aircraft to support the evacuation of their passengers. This coordinated effort underscores the strong partnerships that continue to define Jamaica’s tourism sector.”

And he states that: “In the event that conditions necessitate, we have activated plans in collaboration with the JHTA to establish emergency shelter facilities for any visitors who may need to remain on the island during the passage of the storm.”

The Minister writes that: “Additionally, the Tourism Emergency Operations Centre (TEOC) has been fully activated and is now operating as the communication nerve centre for the industry. It will remain manned on a 24-hour basis to ensure the highest level of coordination, information sharing, and responsiveness until normalcy is fully restored.”

Minister Bartlett concludes: “Jamaica has long been recognized for its resilience and preparedness, and this situation once again demonstrates our collective commitment to the safety of our visitors and the strength of our tourism industry.”