KINGSTON, Jamaica — Minister of Tourism Edmund Bartlett has arrived in London to lead the Jamaican delegation to the World Travel Market (WTM) 2024 scheduled for November 5-7.

This significant event will bring together global leaders in travel and tourism, providing a powerful platform to advance Jamaica’s tourism objectives, strengthen alliances and explore new market growth opportunities, the Ministry of Tourism said in a press release.

“WTM London is a must-see event in the global tourism calendar. Our participation underlines Jamaica’s determination to strengthen its presence not only in the UK and Europe, but also in emerging markets around the world. By actively participating in this forum, we are strengthening Jamaica’s position as a world-class destination and furthering our ambitious goals of reaching five million visitors per year and five billion dollars in revenue by 2025,” said Bartlett in the press release.

During the three-day event, the Minister and senior representatives of the Jamaica Tourism Board (JTB) will engage in high-level discussions with tourism executives from TUI Group, World 2 Meet, Virgin Atlantic and of Blue Diamond Resorts, and will participate in an event organized by the United Nations. Summit of UN Tourism Ministers and WTTC on promoting economic growth through tourism.

In light of this, Bartlett highlighted the importance of this year’s participation, saying: “The World Travel Market allows us to deepen our engagement within this market, which remains crucial to our tourism economy. At the same time, we are strategically expanding our attractiveness to high-potential regions such as Latin America and Asia. This diversification is essential to making Jamaica’s tourism sector resilient and adaptable in a changing global environment.

Bartlett also noted that Jamaica’s tourism sector is currently experiencing steady growth, with projections for visitor arrivals in 2024 expected to increase by 5.3 percent compared to last year, generating approximately $4.35 billion in revenue. .

The Minister’s itinerary includes key engagements at WTM, a dinner hosted by Bloomberg on the ‘Business of Travel’ and high-level media interviews with Reuters and BBC HARDtalk, highlighting Jamaica’s innovations in sustainable tourism and its leadership role in the Caribbean.

A special event showcasing Jamaican culture and cuisine will also take place at the Jamaica Stand, with a Carnival celebration to engage attendees in the vibrant spirit and culture of the island.

Bartlett is expected to return to Jamaica on November 10.