KINGSTON, Jamaica; August 22, 2017: Minister of Tourism, Hon. Edmund Bartlett says, the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) is to collaborate with the Government of Jamaica in the staging United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO), Government of Jamaica and World Bank Group Conference on Jobs & Inclusive Growth: Partnerships for Sustainable Tourism, being held in November at the Montego Bay Convention Centre, St. James.

During his recent trip to London, Bartlett met with the WTTC’s Senior Vice-President of Government and Industry Affairs, Helen Marano, who expressed strong collaborative support for the historic conference. This is in tandem with widening global support for the conference from major international institutions such as the World Bank and the Inter-American Development Bank.

According to Minister Bartlett, one of key expected outcomes from this global conference is the Montego Bay Declaration. “At the end of the conference, there will be the compilation of the Draft Montego Bay Declaration. From this will flow an action plan for tourism destinations to follow, as well as the publication of the second volume of the UNWTO Global Report on Public Private Partnerships,” explained the Minister.

The Conference will also incorporate a presentation of the Caribbean Legends Awards, the first of its kind, which will be a collaborative effort involving Jamaica’s Ministry of Tourism, the Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO) and the Caribbean Hotel & Tourism Association (CHTA), supported by UNWTO. These awards, in the categories of Land, Sea and Air, will be given to individuals that have made an indelible mark on the tourism industry, not just regionally, but globally, enhancing the Caribbean brand.

November’s global conference will also seek to identify successful models and future partnership initiatives that will contribute to the achievement of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the publication of the second UNWTO Affiliate Members Global Report on Public-Private-Partnerships.

“I am proud of the strong partnership we have had with the WTTC, in particular, over the years. They are the movers and shakers in the travel and tourism industry and I am positive that when the details of this collaboration are finalized it will strengthen Jamaica’s presence as a tourism powerhouse on the global stage,” said Minister Bartlett.

The WTTC is an international organization that brings together all major Travel & Tourism stakeholders, including presidents, chairs and CEOs of over 150 of the world’s foremost companies spanning hotels, airlines, airports, tour operators, cruise, car rental, travel agents, rail and the emergent sharing economy.