At ITB Berlin, Edmund Bartlett advanced a bold vision linking Jamaica, Angola, and Brazil in a new Afro-Atlantic tourism partnership. The initiative aims to deepen cultural ties, expand tourism flows, and position Jamaica as a gateway connecting Africa, the Caribbean, and Latin America.
At the just-concluded ITB Berlin, the world’s largest travel trade exhibition, global tourism leaders gathered to discuss trends, partnerships, and the future of travel. Among the many destinations vying for attention, one African nation emerged as the undeniable star: Angola.
Yet the spotlight in Berlin did not shine on Angola alone. Sharing center stage was Edmund Bartlett, the long-serving tourism minister of Jamaica, whose strategic diplomacy and geopolitical awareness are increasingly shaping a new tourism corridor connecting Africa, the Caribbean, and Latin America.
For many observers at ITB Berlin, the conversations unfolding between Angola and Jamaica symbolized something larger than bilateral cooperation. They reflected a deliberate effort to reshape global tourism flows, linking regions bound by centuries of shared history, culture, and diaspora — but until recently, limited direct tourism collaboration.
Angola Takes the Spotlight at ITB Berlin
Angola’s presence at ITB Berlin drew significant attention from travel executives, policymakers, and investors. With its vast Atlantic coastline, diverse ecosystems, and emerging hospitality sector, the country is increasingly positioning itself as one of Africa’s most promising tourism frontiers.
Delegates highlighted Angola’s potential for eco-tourism, heritage travel, and luxury coastal experiences. For Angola, tourism represents an important avenue to diversify its economy beyond natural resources while showcasing the country’s rich cultural identity and natural beauty.
But Angola’s prominence in Berlin also aligned closely with a broader geopolitical tourism strategy emerging from Jamaica — one that seeks to link historically connected regions across the Atlantic.
Bartlett’s Vision: Tourism as Geopolitical Strategy
Few figures in global tourism carry the longevity and influence of Edmund Bartlett. As one of the world’s longest-serving tourism ministers, Bartlett has built a reputation not only as a promoter of Jamaica’s tourism industry but also as a strategist who understands the geopolitical power of travel.
At ITB Berlin, Bartlett’s meetings with African counterparts reinforced a long-standing objective: building a tourism bridge between Africa and the Caribbean — two regions deeply connected through history, culture, and diaspora.
For Bartlett, tourism is more than visitor arrivals and hotel development. It is a diplomatic instrument capable of strengthening cultural ties, economic exchange, and political cooperation.
His approach has been deliberate and incremental. Rather than relying solely on traditional tourism markets in North America and Europe, Jamaica has been expanding partnerships with emerging tourism economies in Africa and Latin America. The goal is to create new travel routes, shared marketing strategies, and institutional frameworks that connect these regions.
Jamaica and Angola: A New Trans-Atlantic Tourism Partnership
A key development at ITB Berlin was the meeting between tourism ministers from Jamaica and Angola, where discussions focused on expanding bilateral cooperation.
Central to these talks was the establishment of a Global Tourism Resilience and Crisis Management Centre in Angola — an initiative pioneered by Jamaica to strengthen the tourism sector’s ability to withstand crises ranging from natural disasters to pandemics.
The Global Tourism Resilience and Crisis Management Centre, first launched at the University of the West Indies, has evolved into a global network with satellite centers in various regions. The proposed Angolan center would mark another step in expanding the initiative across Africa.
Ministers also discussed convening a historic summit of Caribbean and African tourism ministers, bringing policymakers from both regions together to coordinate tourism policies, air connectivity strategies, and investment opportunities.
Such a summit could lay the groundwork for a new trans-Atlantic tourism corridor — one that reimagines the Atlantic connection as a platform for future collaboration.
Building Bridges Beyond Language Barriers
One of the most striking aspects of Jamaica’s expanding tourism diplomacy is its reach beyond traditional linguistic alliances.
While many Caribbean partnerships with Africa have historically focused on English-speaking nations, Bartlett’s outreach to Angola — a Portuguese-speaking country — reflects a broader strategy.
This linguistic expansion aligns naturally with Jamaica’s growing engagement with Brazil, the largest Portuguese-speaking nation in the world and a tourism powerhouse in Latin America.
By linking Angola, Brazil, and Jamaica, Bartlett’s vision creates a triangular tourism partnership across the Atlantic.
