Jamaica’s Minister of Tourism, Edmund Bartlett, has launched “Destination Reputational Resilience,” a timely and strategic new publication that addresses one of the most urgent challenges facing global tourism — safeguarding destination reputation in an era of accelerating digital disruption.
The Jamaica Tourist Board (JTB) said on Wednesday, Feb. 18, that the book is “written by two of the world’s foremost authorities on tourism resilience – Bartlett and Prof. Lloyd Waller.”
JTB said the book delivers a “structured and actionable framework to help destinations prepare for, manage and recover from emerging digital threats.
“From cyberattacks and misinformation to fake news, privacy breaches and digital system failures, the publication outlines practical strategies that enable tourism stakeholders to protect credibility, restore trust and leverage innovation responsibly,” it said.
Bartlett said that, “in today’s hyperconnected world, a destination’s reputation can be strengthened or severely damaged in a matter of minutes.
“Destination Reputational Resilience provides the strategic blueprint that ministers, policymakers and tourism leaders need to anticipate digital shocks, manage crises effectively and rebuild trust with transparency and proof,” he said.
“Resilience is no longer optional — it is the defining competitive advantage of modern tourism,” added Bartlett, emphasizing that, as tourism becomes increasingly digitized — through online booking platforms, digital marketing ecosystems, artificial intelligence tools and integrated data systems — “destinations must adopt comprehensive resilience strategies that extend beyond physical and climate-related disruptions to include cyber and reputational risks.”
JTB said the book provides guidance for destinations to prepare for digital disruptions before they occur; manage real-time digital crises strategically; protect and defend destination credibility under pressure; recover trust through evidence-based communication; and integrate Generative AI responsibly as part of crisis response and reputation management.
Bartlett said that, for tourism-dependent economies such as Jamaica, reputation is among the most valuable national assets.
“Tourism operates on trust. Visitors choose destinations not only for their beauty and experiences, but for confidence in safety, reliability and authenticity,” he said. “Protecting that trust must now include digital vigilance.”
Prof. Waller, executive director of the Global Tourism Resilience and Crisis Management Centre, said that the publication is designed for ministers of tourism, destination management organizations (DMOs), tourism executives, researchers and industry leaders seeking to strengthen governance frameworks in a “rapidly evolving digital environment.”
JTB said the book is timely as Bartlett led strategic discussions at the 4th Global Tourism Resilience Day Conference and Expo in Nairobi, Kenya, from Feb. 16-18, where global tourism leaders convened.
JTB said the book further reinforces Jamaica’s leadership role in advancing global conversations on tourism resilience, innovation and sustainable destination management.
Bartlett urged regional and international stakeholders to integrate the book’s framework into national tourism policies and crisis management systems.
“As we look to the future of global travel, the destinations that thrive will be those that anticipate disruption, respond with integrity and innovate responsibly,” he said. “This book equips leaders to do exactly that.”
