Jamaica minister of tourism, Edmund Bartlett, has begun four days of engagements in Canada as the country seeks to rebuild its economy in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic.

On the agenda will be the sixtieth anniversary of independence on the island and the development of the Global Tourism Resilience & Crisis Management Centre (GTRCMC).

Bartlett is accompanied by Jamaica minister of culture, gender, entertainment and sport, Olivia Grange.

The Jamaica delegation will arrive in Toronto and be principal guest at the signing of a memorandum of understanding between the GTRCMC and George Brown College.

Co-founded in 2018 by Bartlett and former secretary general of the United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO), Taleb Rifai, the GTRCMC was established to address disruptions and crises in tourism.

The centre is based at the University of the West Indies and the George Brown College deal paves the way for the launch of the second satellite centre in five weeks.

Jordan welcomed its own centre last month.

The launch of a satellite in Canada has been hailed by Bartlett as a major development for tourism in North America.

“Tourism in far too important to the global economy for it not to have the support and guidance that the Global Tourism Resilience & Crisis Management Centre offers.

“It was created and is committed to bolstering destination preparedness, management and recovery from disruptions and crises that impact tourism and threaten economies and livelihoods globally,” Bartlett explained.

Bartlett added that he was also looking forward to partnering with Grange in launching ‘Jamaica 60’ celebrations in Canada.

“The Jamaica 60 celebrations are being launched in a very coordinated and strategic way in Canada to, among other things, engage members of the diaspora and to encourage them to travel to Jamaica along with their relatives, friends and colleagues to participate in the historic festivities, while stimulating growth in the tourism sector,” Bartlett concluded.