Minister of Tourism, Hon. Edmund Bartlett (2nd left) presents a special gift to members of the World Bank team: Director for the Caribbean, Lilia Burunciuc (2nd right); Programme Leader, Nataliya Mylenko (1st left); and Senior Operations Analyst, Jhanelle-Rae Bowie, following a high-level meeting alongside other members of the Ministry’s team. The meeting was held at the Ministry’s New Kingston offices earlier today (January 16). Among the issues discussed were the World Bank’s ongoing study, titled the “Future of Tourism in the Caribbean,” which seeks to empower regional markets to enhance competitiveness, improve connectivity, and overcome barriers to tourism growth. Minister Bartlett lauded the initiative and highlighted two pivotal studies being conducted by the Ministry: The Labour Market Study, designed to, among other things, address current and future labour issues in the tourism industry, and the Economic Impact Study, aimed at evaluating the implications of adding 20,000 new rooms over the next 10 years.