Global Tourism Resilience Day: recognition for Edmund Bartlett and a focus on tourism resilience ahead of ITB in Berlin
Tourism is among the most sensitive economic sectors: just a few days of political instability, a new health threat, an extreme weather event, or an air-traffic disruption are enough to slow travel and cause destination revenues to drop sharply. That is precisely why the United Nations proclaimed 17 February as Global Tourism Resilience Day, a day dedicated to strengthening tourism’s ability to withstand shocks and recover faster, while encouraging sustainable development and public–private cooperation.
This year’s observance received a strong symbolic framework through the recognition awarded in Nairobi to Jamaica’s Minister of Tourism Edmund Bartlett. According to the organizers’ announcement, Bartlett received the Global Tourism Resilience Lifetime Achievement Award, a lifetime achievement award granted for a long-term contribution to developing the concept of “tourism resilience” and its practical application. A few weeks after the ceremony in Kenya, Bartlett is also expected to be the guest of honor at a dinner and networking event in Berlin, ahead of the world’s largest tourism trade fair ITB, organized by the World Tourism Network and eTurboNews.
Why Global Tourism Resilience Day matters and what exactly the UN is saying
In explaining the observance, the United Nations stresses that tourism is exceptionally exposed to crises—from natural disasters and climate extremes to pandemics and economic disruptions. The idea of Tourism Resilience Day is simple: countries and the industry should build mechanisms in advance to manage risks better, stabilize traffic and revenues faster after a shock, and develop more diverse and sustainable tourism products.
The UN resolution establishing 17 February as Global Tourism Resilience Day was adopted on 6 February 2023 and emphasizes the need for member states to develop national recovery strategies after disruptions, while strengthening public–private cooperation. In practice, this also means better preparedness of destinations: from crisis communication and safety standards to digital solutions that enable a faster return of demand, and adaptation of the tourism offer to new circumstances.
Nairobi 2026: conference and awards at the heart of Africa’s tourism scene
This year’s conference dedicated to tourism resilience is being held in Nairobi from 16–18 February 2026 at the Kenyatta International Convention Centre (KICC), and Kenya’s hosting further underscores the growing interest of African destinations in crisis management, diversification, and sustainable growth. According to multiple reports by international tourism media, the gathering brings together government representatives, industry leaders, security experts, climate policy and development specialists, and organizations involved in developing standards for a more “resilient” tourism.
At this event, Edmund Bartlett, according to the organizers, received a lifetime achievement recognition in the field of tourism resilience. The rationales emphasize his role in popularizing the concept of resilience as public policy—not merely as a communications slogan—and in encouraging international networking among destinations and institutions working on prevention and recovery from crisis situations.
Edmund Bartlett and the institutionalization of “tourism resilience”
In recent years Bartlett has often been cited as one of the most recognizable names in the global discussion on tourism resilience, primarily through initiatives that connect state policies, academia, and industry. According to official information from the Global Tourism Resilience and Crisis Management Centre (GTRCMC), the centre was founded in 2018 and operates as an international think tank headquartered in Jamaica, with offices and partners in multiple regions, including Africa, Canada, and the Middle East.
GTRCMC states that the centre’s core mission is to help tourism stakeholders prepare for crises, manage them, and recover faster, across a range of services and areas of work—from climate resilience to security and digital challenges. In parallel, documents and communications from UN bodies also show the political dimension of the process: Jamaica was among the key proponents of the resolution that placed Tourism Resilience Day on the UN calendar, and Bartlett presented the draft resolution at the General Assembly.
Berlin ahead of ITB: World Tourism Network dinner as a political–business signal
While Nairobi discusses resilience through the lens of crisis management and transformation, Berlin in early March traditionally becomes the hub of the global tourism business. According to the organizer’s information, ITB Berlin 2026 takes place from 3 to 5 March, and the fair carries additional weight as it marks its 60th anniversary.
In that context, the World Tourism Network announced its first official ITB Networking Dinner evening in Berlin on 2 March 2026, the day before the fair opens, with Bartlett as the guest of honor. According to WTN and eTurboNews announcements, the aim of the dinner is to connect part of the global industry in a more informal format, while also highlighting the topics that will dominate the fair: risk management, cooperation between destinations, investments in resilience, and sustainable growth policy.
In the industry itself, such events are not merely ceremonial. Networking ahead of ITB often serves as a platform where bilateral initiatives are agreed, partnerships between destinations and tour operators are formed, and information is exchanged on security and market trends. The choice of Bartlett as the central figure of the evening, after the recognition in Nairobi, is also interpreted as confirmation that “tourism resilience” is becoming one of the main themes of global tourism policy, not just a technical term.
What “tourism resilience” means in practice: from climate risks to digital security
In the broadest sense, tourism resilience means the ability of a destination and the industry to keep functioning during a crisis, limit damage, and recover with as few long-term consequences as possible. In its materials, the UN emphasizes the importance of planning and diversification, and expert institutions such as GTRCMC elaborate this through concrete tools: crisis protocols, training, communication standards, data collection and analysis, and scenario planning.
Climate risks stand out in particular. Tourism destinations are increasingly experiencing extreme weather events, and the consequences are multiple: damage to infrastructure, service disruptions, changes in seasonality, and rising insurance costs. Resilience in this segment means investments in safer infrastructure, better early warning systems, and the development of products that are not exclusively tied to one season or one type of attraction.
A second layer of resilience relates to security and digital risks. After the pandemic, travel digitalization accelerated—from bookings to identity checks—bringing new vulnerabilities. In this area, there is increasing discussion of cybersecurity in tourism, protection of travelers’ data, and business continuity in the event of IT system outages. Among its thematic focuses, GTRCMC also lists security, cyber, and digital resilience.
The third layer is socio-economic: destinations that depend on a single source of income and a single market niche are more vulnerable to shocks. The UN message on diversification directly targets such situations, encouraging the development of different products and markets, with stronger inclusion of local communities and small entrepreneurs so that risk is spread and the resilience of the local economy increases.
Jamaica, Kenya, and the broader geopolitics of tourism
The story of tourism resilience also reveals a broader geopolitics. Jamaica, an island state whose budget is strongly tied to travel, is seeking to set resilience as a global standard and a topic that goes beyond regional frameworks. Kenya, as host of the Nairobi conference, gains an opportunity to position itself as a regional hub for discussions on crisis management, sustainability, and the development of tourism offerings.
According to GTRCMC information in East Africa, the regional centre within the GTRCMC network was established at Kenyatta University in November 2019, which further explains why part of the activities and events is moving precisely to Nairobi. Such institutions seek to link political decisions with operational solutions: how destinations should react when a “black swan” occurs, and how to prepare so that the effects of such events are mitigated.
What to expect at ITB Berlin 2026 and where the resilience theme fits in
ITB Berlin traditionally brings together thousands of exhibitors and professionals and is the place where national tourism organizations, hotel groups, technology companies, and investors meet. The fair organizer states that ITB’s structure is also divided by market segments, including travel technology, business travel, and other niches that in recent years have been particularly connected with themes of risk management and sustainability.
On the fair’s 60th anniversary, increased interest is additionally expected in strategic topics: how the sector will adapt to climate change, how destinations will manage rising security requirements, and how success will be measured when sustainability, carrying capacities, and responsibility toward local communities are increasingly discussed. In that picture, “tourism resilience” becomes the common denominator: it is the ability to ensure that growth is not built on fragility, but on systems that can withstand shocks.
Bartlett’s appearance in Berlin—after the recognition in Nairobi—fits into that trend. His message about the need for cooperation, preparedness, and sustainable growth, in statements relayed by the organizers, serves as a reminder that tourism is not only a market, but also public policy that touches security, infrastructure, labor, the environment, and international relations.
Sources:- United Nations – official description of Global Tourism Resilience Day and resolution A/RES/77/269 (link)- ITB Berlin – official dates and information about ITB Berlin 2026 (3–5 March 2026) (link)- World Tourism Network – announcement of the ITB Networking Dinner in Berlin on 2 March 2026 (link)- eTurboNews – announcement that Edmund Bartlett is the guest of honor of the WTN/eTurboNews dinner in Berlin and information about the recognition in Nairobi (link)- Breaking Travel News – information about the 4th Global Tourism Resilience Day Conference & Expo being held in Nairobi (KICC, 16–18 February 2026) (link)- Jamaica Information Service / Our Today – details about the Nairobi conference and the event’s thematic framework (link)- GTRCMC – official information about the founding and mission of the Global Tourism Resilience and Crisis Management Centre (founded 2018) (link)
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