In an exclusive interview with ABC MUNDIAL, Jamaica's Minister of Tourism, Edmund Bartlett, shared his proposals to bolster the tourism relationship between Jamaica and Argentina. Minister Bartlett highlighted that Argentina holds the top spot as the leading source of visitors from South America to Jamaica and expressed enthusiasm for the prospects in the bilateral ties. More than 10,000 Argentinians traveled to the Caribbean island in the last year alone.

During his week-long tour of Argentina, Chile, and Peru, Minister Bartlett aimed to fortify relations with the tourism industry in Latin America and increase the influx of tourists from the region to Jamaica.

While in Argentina, Bartlett engaged in a series of meetings with representatives from local tourism ministries and officials from Copa Airlines, which used to operate around eleven weekly flights between Panama and Jamaica before the pandemic.

"The economic recovery of South America to pre-pandemic levels has been quite impressive, and we are confident that this is a good time to seek collaboration opportunities between Jamaica and tourism stakeholders in the region," stated Minister Bartlett.

He expressed his excitement about the Argentine market, acknowledging it as the top one in South America. Additionally, he emphasized his interest in promoting language exchange and marketing programs between Jamaica and Argentina to foster tourism flow between both nations.

Jamaica has set a target to attract 250,000 visitors from Latin America over the next 5 years, recognizing the immense potential this region holds for its tourism industry. With travel fully restored and the development of new air connections, the Minister and his team are devising strategies to draw these visitors and capitalize on growth opportunities in the Latin American market.

During his stay in Argentina, Bartlett also announced the establishment of a Resilience and Crisis Management Center in Jamaica and the future opening of a similar center in Argentina in October. This reaffirms Jamaica's commitment to resilience in tourism, with the goal of addressing potential challenges and maintaining sustainable growth in the sector.

The visit of Jamaica's Minister of Tourism to Argentina exemplifies the dedication to fortifying tourism ties between both countries and fostering collaboration in various areas, including cultural exchange, tourism promotion, and the creation of new business opportunities.

In Bartlett's words, "our mission is to enrich the relationship with Latin America and reinforce the arrival of visitors from the south as we strive to achieve our target of five million annual visitors by 2025."

The Minister, who will return to Jamaica on August 4th, also plans to meet with representatives from local universities to discuss expanding the presence of the Global Tourism Resilience and Crisis Management Center, based in Jamaica, in South America. This approach showcases Jamaica's commitment to working in partnership with the region to strengthen the tourism industry and promote sustainable growth in the sector.