Jamaica and TUI Group to explore expansion into Latin America and Eastern Europe | News
Pictured: Tourism Minister Edmund Bartlett in conversation with TUI Group CEO Sebastian Ebel during a meeting at FITUR in Spain on Thursday, January 22, 2025 to discuss partnerships as Jamaica continues its recovery from Hurricane Melissa.
Tourism Minister Edmund Bartlett has started talks with TUI Group, one of the world’s leading tourism companies, to strengthen the destination’s presence in Latin America and Eastern Europe. Leveraging TUI’s extensive marketing network would significantly boost Jamaica’s strategic initiative to diversify tourism source markets and expand its footprint.
TUI group was voted as The world’s leading integrated tourism group 2025 by the World travel awards
The collaboration will be in direct line with Jamaica’s efforts to reduce dependence on traditional North American and Western European markets by establishing stronger connections with high-potential regions in these new and emerging markets.
Jamaica is currently experiencing a significant increase in visitors, increased air transport and stronger trade partnerships from Latin America. The island also saw strategic growth in European arrivals last year, driven by new flights from Portugal (World2Fly) and Switzerland (Edelweiss). Forecasts, based on increased demand, indicate that these markets will grow even further this year.
“This partnership with TUI is expected to be a transformative opportunity for the Jamaican tourism industry,” said Edmund Bartlett, Minister of Tourism. “As we work to broaden our visitor base and build resilience in our tourism economy, TUI’s extensive network and operational expertise in these emerging markets will be invaluable.”
BTN spoke to Minister Bartlett during FITUR 2026 for an exclusive interview with Justin Cooke.
The discussion, held within the margins of FITUR, looked at leveraging TUI’s established presence in Latin America and Eastern Europe, where travelers are demonstrating and increasing interest in Caribbean destinations. The proposed partnership would focus on improved flight connectivity, targeted marketing campaigns and tailor-made holiday packages designed to appeal to travelers in these regions.
Pictured: Tourism Minister Edmund Bartlett (c) pauses with TUI Group CEO Sebastian Ebel (1st l) before a meeting to discuss how Jamaica and TUI Group can work together. The speakers are lr, Donovan White, director of tourism, Thomas Ellerbeck, director of external and corporate affairs of TUI Group and Gregory Shervington, regional director of continental Europe.
“Jamaica offers an unparalleled combination of natural beauty, rich culture and world-class hospitality,” said Donovan White, director of tourism. “We are excited to introduce more travelers from Latin America and Eastern Europe to this exceptional destination and support Jamaica’s vision for sustainable tourism growth.”
The initiative is in line with Jamaica’s tourism strategy, which emphasizes market diversification as a key strategy for long-term industrial stability. Jamaica was elected The world’s leading family travel destination 2025 by the World travel awards
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“We are future-proofing Jamaica’s tourism sector through strategic partnerships that add value to our operations. Jamaica is such a powerful brand that has received an outpouring of love and support worldwide and we are grateful,” said Minister of Tourism Edmund Bartlett.
The Minister leads a small delegation at FITUR, the global meeting point for tourism professionals and the leading trade fair for inbound and outbound markets in Latin America. This year’s exhibition has 156 countries represented with more than 100,000 visitors.
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