Bartlett to be honoured with Pyne Africa Icon Award

Jamaica’s Minister of Tourism Edmund Bartlett is set to be honoured as a Tourism Icon at the PYNE Awards Africa 2026, in recognition of his global leadership in building tourism resilience and advancing stronger partnerships between Africa, the Caribbean and the wider Global South.

Bartlett will receive the honour during the PYNE Awards Africa 2026, scheduled for September 24 to 26 in Maputo, Mozambique.

The three-day event will bring together heads of state, ministers, business leaders, investors, youth leaders and other influential stakeholders to examine the future of African leadership, investment, innovation and tourism growth.

The awards celebrate leaders across Africa, the Caribbean and the diaspora who are driving innovation, youth empowerment, economic transformation and resilience.

“This recognition from Africa, in the beautiful nation of Mozambique, is deeply significant,” said Bartlett.

“It affirms that resilience is a shared language between the Caribbean and Africa. From Maputo to Montego Bay, we face many of the same climate threats, economic vulnerabilities and development challenges, and we must build solutions together.”

The PYNE Awards Africa recognition also underscores the growing relevance of Jamaica’s tourism resilience model to emerging destinations across Africa and the Global South.

As countries seek to strengthen tourism competitiveness, unlock investment and create greater opportunities for communities and young people, resilience is increasingly being viewed as fundamental to sustainable tourism development.

The recognition acknowledges Bartlett’s pioneering role in transforming tourism resilience from a destination-level priority into a global development agenda.

editorial@gleanerjm.com