Jamaica's Minister of Tourism, Edmund Bartlett, said the world has entered the "Age of Resilience" during a speech in Canada on Sunday [1].
The call for global action comes as tourism-dependent nations seek to safeguard livelihoods against unpredictable crises through structural financial shifts and technological adoption [2].
Bartlett said the international community should prioritize financing for the future of tourism to prevent systemic collapses during the next global crisis [1]. He said resilience is no longer optional but a necessity for the survival of the industry [3].
A key pillar of this strategy involves the integration of artificial intelligence. Bartlett said AI innovation is essential to modernizing tourism infrastructure and improving response times during emergencies [1].
Beyond high-tech solutions, the minister highlighted the vulnerability of micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) [2]. He said these smaller businesses form the backbone of the tourism economy, but often lack the capital to survive prolonged disruptions [3].
Bartlett said financing resilience protects not only the industry but the people whose lives depend on it [3]. He said a coordinated global effort is needed to ensure that funding reaches the most vulnerable sectors of the travel economy [1].
“The world has entered the "Age of Resilience."”
The shift toward an 'Age of Resilience' reflects a broader trend among Caribbean and developing nations to move away from reactive disaster management toward proactive financial hedging. By linking AI innovation with MSME support, Jamaica is advocating for a dual-track approach that combines high-level technological efficiency with grassroots economic stability to reduce the volatility of tourism-dependent GDPs.
