The meeting, which included Chemonics President and CEO, Jamey Butcher and members of his senior management team, was aimed at securing Chemonics’ collaboration in executing activities related to the 3rd annual observation of Global Tourism Resilience Day, scheduled for February 17, 2025, and exploring the possibility of expanding Jamaica’s Tourism Innovation Incubator, Minister Bartlett outlined. This he said could see an alliance between Chemonics and the Jamaica-based Global Tourism Resilience Centre (GTRC).
“We had discussions regarding this partnership, but we also looked at how Chemonics can work with Jamaica in expanding our Tourism Innovation Incubator established in the Ministry, for which the Tourism Enhancement Fund (TEF) now has responsibility,” said Minister Bartlett.
The tourism minister noted that Chemonics’ experience as a leading global development firm with a vast network of experts aligns with Jamaica’s vision for the Tourism Innovation Incubator. He explained that the relationship would foster innovation within the tourism sector by connecting local tourism enterprises with international technologists and specialists in digitization and artificial intelligence (AI).
Minister Bartlett said:
“The discussions also centered around expanding the activities of the small and medium-sized tourism enterprises (SMTEs) and to continue building capacity for training and certification, financing and funding of start-up and expansion projects as well as marketing.”
Minister Bartlett also commended Chemonics’ critical partnership “in Jamaica’s successful hosting of the largest-ever UNWTO conference in Montego Bay in 2017 to commemorate the International Year of Sustainable Tourism,” a feat achieved through further partnership with the World Bank and the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB).
He continued: “I’m excited about the prospects of this collaboration as it will bring together a similar type of team including UN Tourism that will be working on this mega Global Tourism Resilience Day event expected to happen in Jamaica in February 2025.”
