At Nairobi’s airport, Minister Edmund Bartlett stood holding the symbolic Rod of Tourism Resilience — a reminder that destinations must stay steady when global winds shift. Representing foresight, readiness, partnership, and adaptability, the “rod” captured a simple idea: resilience is not a reaction to crisis, but a mindset carved long before challenges arrive.
NAIROBI — In a world where tourism headlines often carry the weight of uncertainty, Jamaica’s Minister of Tourism, Hon. Edmund Bartlett, offered something refreshingly different this week in Kenya: optimism, symbolism, and just a touch of humor.
Fresh from taking center stage at Tourism Resilience Day, where he received a lifetime achievement award, Bartlett departed Nairobi with the calm confidence of a man who believes the travel industry’s best chapters are still being written. During the event, he presented the first copy of his newly released book — co-authored with Professor Lloyd Waller — to Kenya’s Cabinet Secretary (Prime Minister), H.E. Musalia Mudavadi, marking another milestone in the growing global conversation on resilience.
But it was not only speeches and handshakes that caught attention. At the airport, Bartlett was spotted holding what he calls the “Rod of Tourism Resilience” — a symbolic staff representing steady leadership when global winds shift.
Observers may have expected a ceremonial prop. Instead, the minister turned it into a moving metaphor — and perhaps the most talked-about travel accessory since the invention of the passport cover.
What the Rod of Tourism Resilience Symbolizes
“The rod symbolizes the steady staff a destination holds when the winds change,” Bartlett explained, drawing curious smiles from travelers passing by. And in serious times, a little symbolism goes a long way.
According to Bartlett, the Rod of Tourism Resilience represents the quiet strengths that keep destinations standing when the unexpected hits. Among the values carved into its meaning are foresight, readiness, flexible strategy, partnership power, bounce-back capacity, and responsible stewardship — not exactly the usual airport departure conversation, but one that resonated with many in the tourism community.
In essence, the “rod” is less about ceremony and more about mindset. It reflects the idea that resilience is not built in a crisis; it is practiced long before the storm clouds gather. Tourism leaders, Bartlett noted, must learn to pivot quickly without panic, coordinate across sectors, and protect both people and place while maintaining the spirit that makes travel meaningful.
And yes, there was room for humor.
Philosophy instead of Souvenirs from Kenya
As one delegate joked while watching Bartlett at the airport, “Most travelers carry souvenirs — he carries a philosophy.”
Bartlett’s message to destinations around the world is simple but participatory: if you had the chance, what would you carve onto your own rod of resilience? Data? Leadership? Strategy? Community? Communication? The question invites tourism stakeholders everywhere to think beyond recovery and toward readiness.
The symbolism may sound poetic, but the timing is practical. With economic pressures, climate challenges, and evolving traveler expectations shaping the future of tourism, resilience is no longer a buzzword — it is a necessity.
Still, Bartlett’s approach offers a reminder that even in serious times, tourism leaders can inspire without losing warmth or humanity. The Rod of Tourism Resilience may not yet be listed in airline baggage policies, but its message is already traveling far beyond the departure gate: steady, coordinated, and future-proof.
And perhaps that is the real takeaway from Nairobi — that resilience, much like tourism itself, works best when carried with purpose… and occasionally, with a smile.
