Jamaica minister declares 'Age of Resilience,' urges financing for tourism's future

Jamaica's Minister of Tourism, Edmund Bartlett, has declared that the world has entered "the Age of Resilience." Speaking at the Canadian-Caribbean Tourism Resilience Symposium in Toronto, Bartlett emphasized that the survival of the tourism sector now hinges on investing in people, not solely in physical assets.

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The fires in Canada are not only a Canadian story. They are a mirror held up to the world. They tell us that the world has changed. Not temporarily, not superficially, fundamentally.

Bartlett addressed delegates against the backdrop of severe climate change-induced forest fires raging across Canada. He stated that global threats, including climate disasters, geopolitical conflicts, cyber threats, and artificial intelligence, are no longer isolated incidents but are converging. "The fires in Canada are not only a Canadian story. They are a mirror held up to the world," Bartlett told attendees, including diplomats and industry leaders. "They tell us that the world has changed. Not temporarily, not superficially, fundamentally."

He explained that while the Industrial Age rewarded production and the Information Age rewarded connectivity, "The Age of Resilience will reward adaptive capacity: the ability to anticipate disruption, absorb shocks, reorganise intelligently and transform before vulnerability becomes collapse." Bartlett pointed to Canada's 2024 Jasper wildfire, which led to 20,000 evacuations and severely impacted the regional economy, as an example. He argued that resilience is fundamentally about livelihoods and the ability of people to continue living, working, and hoping, not just about the survival of iconic landmarks.

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The Age of Resilience will reward adaptive capacity: the ability to anticipate disruption, absorb shocks, reorganise intelligently and transform before vulnerability becomes collapse.

Bartlett further stressed that "peace is productive infrastructure," noting a sharp decline in Middle East tourism arrivals in early 2026, even when missiles do not directly impact destinations. He highlighted how airspace closures, travel advisories, and cancelled conventions create "economic echoes" throughout the sector. "Tourism is one of humanity’s quietest peace institutions. It turns strangers into guests," he said, advocating for peaceful tourism corridors that foster empathy and mutual dependence.

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A destination is not resilient merely because its iconic assets survive. A destination is resilient when its people can continue to live, work, create and hope.

Additionally, Bartlett suggested that artificial intelligence can help shift tourism from a reactive to a proactive resilience model by forecasting potential disasters and identifying vulnerable assets. However, he cautioned that technology must not exacerbate inequality, questioning whether AI will primarily benefit large corporations or empower small entrepreneurs.

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peace is productive infrastructure.