After completing a painful final lap and retiring from his sprinting career at the world athletics championships in London, Usain Bolt has been announced as one of the ambassadors of Jamaican Tourism.
Speaking to the media, 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.
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.
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 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 during the conference.
