Minister of Tourism wins International Institute for Peace through Tourism Champions in Challenge Award

Today, at the International Travel Crisis Management Summit (ITCMS) in London, the Hon. Edmund Bartlett, Jamaica’s Minister of Tourism, received the International Institute for Peace through Tourism (IIPT) Champions in Challenge Award. The awards, sponsored by marketing communications firm Finn Partners, honor industry leaders who have stood forward in exceptional times of challenge and have made a real difference through their words and their actions.

Additionally, it was announced that the ITCMS will transform into the Resilience Council, a year-round communications platform that will focus on the key areas of preparedness, communications, thought leadership, recovery and resilience. Minister Bartlett will serve as co-chair along with Dr. Taleb Rifai, former UNWTO Secretary-General of the Founding Board for the Council.

Dr. Taleb Rifai, who presented the IIPT award, described Minister Bartlett as a champion in joining forces with global tourism leaders as a means of achieving destination growth and opportunity, especially when facing challenges. He commended his integral role in establishing the Global Tourism Resilience & Crisis Management Centre which will be housed at the University of the West Indies in Kingston, Jamaica.

Hon. Minister Edmund Bartlett expressed his admiration for the IIPT when accepting the award, “I am honored to receive such an award from the IIPT.  I intend to continue my work to launch the Global Tourism Resilience & Crisis Management Centre in 2019 so that together we can carry out vital research and analysis on destination preparedness for crises that impact tourism and travelers visiting destinations all around the world.”

Founded by Dr. Louis D’Amore in 1986, the International Institute for Peace Through Tourism is a non-profit organisation which works globally to raise awareness of the vital role that tourism can play to foster peace by treating every traveler as a potential Ambassador for Peace.

“The IIPT Awards honour leaders who have stood forward in exceptional times of challenge and have made a real difference through their words and actions. Crises are an unavoidable fact of life; through the Champions in Challenge awards we seek to recognize exceptional leaders who embody the power of tourism to bring peace and stability” remarked Ajay Prakash, President of IIPT India.

Other recipients of the IIPT Champions in Challenge Awards included the CEO of Nepal Tourist Board, Deepak Joshi and the CEO of the US Travel Association, Roger Dow.