Key Jamaica Tourism Officials Named to Hurricane Melissa Recovery Task Forces

Key figures in Jamaica’s tourism industry will play a big role in recovery efforts in the wake of Hurricane Melissa.

Jamaica’s Minister of Tourism, Hon. Edmund Bartlett, has announced the creation of two key bodies — the Hurricane Melissa Recovery Task Force and the Donation Coordination Task Force — to lead the tourism sector’s organized response and recovery efforts.

Minister Bartlett explained that the new task forces will be instrumental in assessing damage, coordinating industry-wide support, and crafting a sustainable roadmap for recovery and resilience in the wake of the storm.

Joining government officials on the Recovery Task Force are tourism leaders Adam Stewart, Executive Chairman of Sandals Resorts International (SRI); Ian Dear, Board Chairman of the Tourism Product Development Company (TPDCo); Donovan White, Director of Tourism; Jessica Shannon, Chief Experience Officer at SRI; and Christopher Jarrett, President of the Jamaica Hotel and Tourist Association (JHTA). 

Supporting the efforts of recovery with the Donation Coordination Task Force are industry leaders JTB’s Director of Tourism, Donovan White; Angella Bennett, Regional Director for the JTB in Canada and Phillip Rose, Deputy Director of Tourism for the United States and the Americas. The team also includes Christopher Jarrett, President of the JHTA, Nicola Madden-Greig, Former President of the JHTA and Elizabeth Fox, Regional Director for the JTB in the United Kingdom.

“The recovery of our tourism sector must be deliberate, coordinated, and compassionate. Through these task forces, we are ensuring that the welfare of our workers, the rehabilitation of our infrastructure, and the recovery of the tourism sector move in tandem,” said Minister Bartlett. “Their activities will be integrated into the national disaster response mechanism,” he added.

Minister Bartlett noted that both task forces will coordinate closely with the Global Tourism Resilience and Crisis Management Centre (GTRCMC) to integrate lessons from previous recovery efforts, including Jamaica’s record-breaking post COVID-19 recovery, and ensure a comprehensive approach to rebuilding the sector.

“Tourism’s strength lies not just in its product offerings, but in its people and partnerships. The speed and synergy of our response show the industry’s resilience and our unwavering commitment to recovery with empathy, compassion and innovation,” added the tourism minister.