Montego Bay, St James, 22 June 2026
Tourism Minister Edmund Bartlett has called on Jamaicans overseas to lend their professional skills to making the island’s tourism industry better able to withstand disasters and a changing climate.
Addressing the recently concluded 11th Biennial Jamaica Diaspora Conference at the Montego Bay Convention Centre, the Minister said engineers, scientists, medical workers and technical specialists abroad have knowledge, networks and practical insight that could speed up problem-solving at home.
A blueprint for resilience
Mr Bartlett outlined a plan built around several priorities. Natural coastal assets such as coral reefs, mangroves and beaches need to be protected and restored, since sustainable tourism depends on them. Roads, attractions and coastal facilities should be planned and built with climate risks in mind.
He also stressed the need for secure supplies of water, energy and food, especially during emergencies, and for resilience training for workers and communities so that they can recover quickly after a shock.
Money and partnerships
Funding was a central theme. The Minister said securing investment for resilience infrastructure would allow upgrades to roads, ports and hospitality facilities and support adaptation projects led by communities.
He suggested the diaspora could take part through joint ventures in coastal restoration, financing vehicles for resilience projects, and knowledge exchanges that adapt international best practice to Jamaican conditions. Overseas Jamaicans could also act as ambassadors, he said, helping to restore confidence in the destination and widen its visitor markets, including travellers looking for climate-conscious destinations.
What it means for coastal communities
For people who own or are thinking of buying property near the coast, the Minister’s focus on reefs, mangroves and beaches is worth noting. The health of those natural assets is bound up with the appeal of coastal areas, and with the tourism that supports so many jobs there.
Upgrades to roads and facilities in resort areas would also reach beyond hotels to the surrounding communities, where many hospitality workers live and where demand for rental housing tends to follow the fortunes of the tourism industry.
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