News Releases

L-R:  The Honourable Edmund Bartlett, Jamaica’s Minister of Tourism for Jamaica and Professor Lloyd Waller, UWI Professor and Executive Director of the Global Tourism Resilience and Crisis Management Centre (GTRCMC), at the Global Tourism Resilience Forum last February. The forum culminated in the official launch of the “Global Tourism Resilience Day”, now to be recognized globally every year on February 17.

 The UWI Regional Headquarters, Jamaica W.I. Friday, 10 February, 2023—The United Nations General Assembly has adopted a resolution to designate February 17 annually as Global Tourism Resilience Day. The resolution was initiated by Professor Lloyd Waller from The University of the West Indies (The UWI) who also serves as Executive Director of the Global Tourism Resilience and Crisis Management Centre (GTRCMC), which is hosted at The UWI Mona Campus.

 Global Tourism Resilience Day (February 17) aims to emphasize the need to foster resilient tourism development to deal with shocks, taking into account the vulnerability of the tourism sector to emergencies.

 Professor Waller worked on drafting the initial concept paper, which became resolution A/77/L.43 at the seventy-seventh session of the United Nations General Assembly. The declaration is an outcome of a GTRCMC event held on February 17, 2022, at the World Expo, which was supported by the World Travel Awards, Sandals Resorts and Royal Jordanian Airlines, and the International Tourism & Investment Conference (ITIC).

 According to Professor Waller, “The resolution can be considered a monumental triumph for Jamaica and The UWI, and a significant contribution to the future of the global tourism industry. The resolution has set a benchmark for awareness about the crucial role of tourism resilience in preparing for, managing and recovering from various crises and disruptions. In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, which further emphasized the significance of tourism to the world economy and human wellbeing, all parties involved in the realisation of this resolution deserve commendation for their substantial contribution towards the sustainability of the planet and the future of humanity.”

 The resolution, presented by The Honourable Edmund Bartlett, Minister of Tourism for Jamaica and Co-Chair for the GTRCMC, received full support from 94 nations at the United Nations General Assembly. The presentation followed an address made by The Most Honourable Andrew Holness, Prime Minister of Jamaica, who also served as one of the Honorary Chairs of the GTRCMC, at the United Nations General Assembly in September 2022.

 Prime Minister Holness described the day as “a historic accomplishment for the planet and a means of promoting a sustainable and research-driven approach to tourism resilience through knowledge and awareness.”

 In addition to his role in driving the resolution, Professor Waller has been working on methodology for building resilience. Recognising the need for practical guidance on this topic, he is developing a convergence of various tactics, strategies, and methodologies such as business continuity management, project management, crisis management/communication, risk management, mixed-methods research, and operations management. This ‘Resilience Methodology’ is expected to be released in Professor Waller’s newest book later this year.

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The UWI has been and continues to be a pivotal force in every aspect of Caribbean development; residing at the centre of all efforts to improve the well-being of people across the region for the past 75 years.

From a university college of London in Jamaica with 33 medical students in 1948, The UWI is today an internationally respected, global university with near 50,000 students and five campuses: Mona in Jamaica, St. Augustine in Trinidad and Tobago, Cave Hill in Barbados, Five Islands in Antigua and Barbuda and its Open Campus, and global centres in partnership with universities in North America, Latin America, Asia, Africa and Europe.

The UWI offers over 800 certificate, diploma, undergraduate and postgraduate degree options in Culture, Creative and Performing Arts, Food and Agriculture, Engineering, Humanities and Education, Law, Medical Sciences, Science and Technology, Social Sciences, and Sport. As the Caribbean’s leading university, it possesses the largest pool of Caribbean intellect and expertise committed to confronting the critical issues of our region and wider world.

The UWI has been consistently ranked among the top universities globally by the most reputable ranking agency, Times Higher Education (THE). The UWI is the only Caribbean-based university to make the prestigious lists since its debut in the rankings in 2018. In addition to its leading position in the Caribbean in the World University Rankings, it is also in the top 25 for Latin America and the Caribbean and the top 100 global Golden Age universities (between 50 and 80 years old).  The UWI is also featured among the leading universities on THE’s Impact Rankings for its response to the world’s biggest concerns, outlined in the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including Good Health and Wellbeing; Gender Equality and Climate Action.

2023 marks The UWI’s 75th anniversary. The Diamond jubilee milestone themed “UWI at 75. Rooted. Ready. Rising.” features initiatives purposely designed and aligned to reflect on the past, confront the present, and articulate plans for the future of the regional University.

Learn more at www.uwi.edu