Special to AG-IP-News Agency 

AMMAN – HE Dr. Talal Abu-Ghazaleh, founder and chairman of Talal Abu-Ghazaleh Global (TAG.Global), received in his office the Honourable Edmund Bartlett, Founder of the Global Tourism Resilience and Crisis Management Centre (GTRCMC) at the University of the West Indies, Mona, and Minister of Tourism, Jamaica.

During the meeting, the two parties discussed several important topics. They included: technology and innovation; climate change and its impact on the tourism sector; and the importance of business incubators. 

Dr. Abu-Ghazaleh stated that innovation became one of the main factors that play a significant role in influencing the economy, affirming that innovation is "Making the Future." He added that climate change has been directly linked to trade, which in turn was directly linked to tourism, reiterating the importance of business incubators and their effective role in stimulating and encouraging innovation.

For his part, Minister. Bartlett discussed his theory on resilience in fighting climate change, which has greatly affected Jamaica through sea-level rise, and changing patterns of rainfall, storms and extra-tropical cyclones; emphasizing the importance of innovation and digital transformation in global tourism and as such has been actively creating new GTRCMC satellite centres across the world, including Kenya, Canada, Bulgaria, and here in Amman, Jordan. 

The TAG and the GTRCMC have agreed to collaborate on building knowledge, innovation and creative applications to the tourism industry worldwide through training, certification and knowledge transfers.

The meeting was attended by representatives from the two institutions including Professor Lloyd Waller, Executive Director, GTRCMC; Ms. Anna-Kay Newell, Director of Global Affairs, GTRCMC; and Mr. Ibrahim Ayoub, Group Executive Officer of International Tourism Investment Conference (ITIC). 

From TAG.Global, Mr. Ramez Quneibi, executive director of Media and Marketing Innovations Department, Mr. Fadi Daoud, executive director of Talal Abu-Ghazaleh Knowledge Forum, Mr. Tareq Shahwan, executive director of Digital Transformation Department, and Mr. Ala Turaani, executive director of Talal Abu-Ghazaleh for Development, attended the meeting.

It is worth mentioning that HE Dr. Talal Abu-Ghazaleh is the Ambassador of the Sustainable Tourism for Development of the United Nations World Tourism Organization (WTO), and the Honourable Edmund Bartlett is well-recognized for his extensive expertise and achievements in the political arena and has devoted more than 37 years of service to his country, Jamaica. He worked in both Chambers of Jamaica’s Parliament; the Senate and the House of Representatives, and represented Jamaica regionally and internationally.