KINGSTON, Jamaica- Tourism Minister, Edmund Bartlett was awarded the prestigious Gusi Peace Prize in Manila in recognition of his outstanding contributions to the global tourism industry on Wednesday.

The distinguished accolade, often dubbed as Asia’s equivalent of the Nobel Peace Prize, celebrates excellence in various fields, including peace, human rights, politics, science, and the arts.

Minister Bartlett’s award highlights his leadership in championing tourism resilience and sustainability, particularly in small island developing states, and underscores his commitment to advancing global cooperation in the tourism sector.

The award comes as part of the ongoing four-day Gusi Peace Prize event, which will be concluded on Thursday and sees global figures from various sectors gathered to network and explore solutions to some of the world’s most pressing challenges.

Bartlett was humbled at receiving the award.

“Receiving the Gusi Peace Prize is a humbling and deeply inspiring honour. This recognition belongs not just to me but to the people of Jamaica, whose innovation, resilience, and cultural richness are at the heart of all I do. It highlights how tourism, when approached thoughtfully, can transform communities and inspire unity worldwide,” a release from the Ministry of Tourism quoted Bartlett as saying.

On the margins of the awards ceremony, Bartlett also led a series of high-level discussions with representatives of the Department of Tourism in the Philippines, focusing on the possibility of signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to foster greater cooperation between the two countries in the tourism industry. The proposed MoU will focus on several key areas that will drive mutual growth and innovation.

Bartlett highlighted the importance of human capital development as a key pillar of the potential agreement, citing the Philippines’ success in training over 170,000 tourism workers annually. He noted that this collaboration would help Jamaica strengthen its tourism workforce by enhancing service excellence across the island.

“The Department of Tourism in the Philippines has done remarkable work in training tourism workers and certifying them in service excellence. We look forward to collaborating with them to further strengthen service excellence in Jamaica, which is at the core of the visitor experience,” he said.