Tourism resilience shapes Caribbean’s future

There was a great turnout of tourism officials, policymakers, diplomatic representatives, community members and dignitaries at the Canadian-Caribbean Tourism Resilience Symposium: Co-Designing the Next Decade. Held July 29^th–30^th at George Brown Polytechnic’s Limberlost Place, the two-day symposium brought together tourism ministries, destination management organizations, private-sector leaders and global partners to discuss resilience across the Canadian and Caribbean tourism sectors.

The symposium was designed for change-makers who want practical, community-driven solutions, not just theory, while creating opportunities for collaboration and networking among academics, industry experts and international partners working at the intersection of tourism, sustainability and environmental resilience.

Among the dignitaries addressing participants were Donna Regis-Prosper, Secretary-General and CEO of the Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO), and other CTO representatives, including Narendra Ramgulam, Deputy Director of Sustainable Tourism. They expressed optimism and high expectations about what would emerge from the conference.

Topics covered included:

• Climate change adaptation and migration
• Sustainable tourism planning and environmental stewardship
• Workforce resilience, skills development and retention
• Supply-chain resilience and crisis preparedness
• Digital innovation for sustainable destinations
• Financing sustainable tourism

Honourable Edmund Bartlett, Jamaica’s Minister of Tourism, is internationally recognized for his work in tourism resilience. He was first appointed Minister of Tourism in 2007, served until 2011, and returned to the portfolio in 2016. He remains Minister of Tourism in 2026 and is a co-founder of the Global Tourism Resilience and Crisis Management Centre (GTRCMC), established in 2018. Jamaica’s Office of the Prime Minister confirms his current ministerial role and his first appointment in 2007.

I interviewed Minister Bartlett on July 29^th, 2026, at George Brown Polytechnic before he delivered the keynote address. He answered questions about the state of tourism in Jamaica and globally, and spoke about the GTRCMC, a centre dedicated to policy-relevant research and analysis on destination preparation, management and recovery from disruptions and crises that affect tourism.

Under the GTRCMC’s leadership, satellite centres have expanded into Africa, North America and the Middle East. The partnership with George Brown Polytechnic is a fitting one, symbolizing a relationship built around shared knowledge, research and resilience.

The symposium was particularly significant following Hurricane Melissa, which struck Jamaica in October 2025. Bartlett emphasized the importance of bringing key players together to share ideas, pool resources, exchange best practices and develop evidence-based policies to prepare for future challenges and disruptions. For countries heavily dependent on tourism for foreign exchange, preparation is critical. Hurricane Melissa made landfall in Jamaica on October 28^th, 2025, causing catastrophic damage.

I asked Bartlett about his expectations for community tourism, which he had discussed at Jamaica’s National Community-Based Tourism Resilience Symposium. A central goal of community tourism is to transfer more tourism wealth to local stakeholders.

“Tourism begins in the communities. So, the hotel may accommodate the visitors, but the community gives the visitors Jamaica and that’s the purpose of why this symposium has been developed.”

Bartlett also highlighted ALEX, the Agri-Linkages Exchange, a platform connecting small farmers with larger players in the tourism ecosystem. According to the Jamaica Information Service, the program has connected more than 2,000 farmers to tourism demand, resulting in the sale of 2.57 million kilograms of produce.

That community focus is a conversation emerging from the symposium. Tourism statistics can measure arrivals and foreign exchange earnings, but resilience must be measured by what happens to the people and businesses that make a destination attractive.

Small farmers, vendors, artisans and practitioners need pathways into the tourism economy. The discussions in Toronto extended beyond recovery after a crisis. They raised a question: how can Caribbean destinations build tourism systems that are environmentally responsible, economically inclusive and withstand disruption?

Collaboration between governments, businesses and communities will be essential. Resilience cannot begin after disaster strikes; it must be built into planning, investment and community participation before the next crisis arrives.