Bolt to be the face of Jamaican tourism

Jamaica's Usain Bolt. Picture: AP Photo/Matt Dunham

Jamaica's Usain Bolt. Picture: AP Photo/Matt Dunham

Published Aug 14, 2017

Share

After recently going through a painful final lap and bowing out of his sprinting career at the world athletics championships in London, Bolt has also been announced as one of the ambassadors of Jamaican Tourism. 

Speaking to Jamaican publication The Gleaner, Tourism minister Edmund Bartlett says this is one of the ways that the country is showing that they still support Bolt fully. Even after his retirement. 

"Jamaica has in no way lost confidence in his ability to represent the country as an ambassador and we intend to utilise him as the face of national activities," Bartlett told The Gleaner in London.

Bolt is said to also be in talks with the United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) about being one of the ambassadors for the conference that will be taking place from 27-29 November held under the theme 'Building Partnerships for Sustainable Tourism for Developmen at the Montego Bay Convention Centre. 

Once confirmed, Bolt will join other ambassadors of the conference such as Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, president of Liberia, Juan Manuel Santos, president of Colombia and Mai bint Mohammed Al-Khalifa, president of the Bahrain Authority for Culture and Antiquities.

The conference has attracted more than 50 countries and 200 delegates which will be bringing together important role players in the areas of air, land and sea tourism industries. 

According to the publication it will bring  significant spin-offs for local and Caribbean tourism, particularly so for Jamaica, which will be showcasing to global tourism partners a special gastronomy prototype in rural Jamaica as well as hosting a major awards ceremony honouring some of the best tourism leaders in the region.

In UNWTO's declaration, 2017 is the International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development. It marks an important milestone in the 2030 Agenda and in the progress towards the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals, in which the tourism sector appears as a key tool. Special ambassadors aim to provide a global focus to the International Year, as well as to highlight the commitment of leaders and prominent personalities in the development of sustainable practices in the tourism sector.

Minister Bartlett said he expects that the tourism ministers from 157 countries, in addition to various heads of government, World Bank, Inter-American Development Bank and the Organisation of American States officials will also be in attendance. 

 

Related Topics: