Tourist board staff termination is a betrayal of trust Opposition says

BY DELANA ISLES

The recent termination of several employees at the Tourist Board is being seen as a betrayal of the people’s trust by the PNP government, a move that has historical origins.

Hon Edwin Astwood, Leader of the Opposition has once again strongly voiced his disapproval with the dismantling of the TCI Tourist Board to make way for the government’s much touted Destination Management Organisation (DMO).

Astwood is once again speaking out against the move after 17 tourist board employees were made redundant on February 3, as the government forges ahead with the transition into a DMO.

Although the government had assured employment of the tourist board staff in DMO – provided they reapply for their positions –the opposition leader believes this assurance is nothing but an empty promise. One he said was made when Interhealth Canada came to TCI and a similar transition was undertaken with TCI Hospital.

“This current PNP government, led by Premier Misick and his Cabinet ministers, has demonstrated an apathetic and uncaring attitude towards our people, the workers of the Tourist Board as it relates to their current and future employment status.

“Additionally, they are saying that the staff was given the chance to apply to the DMO for employment, but we know how that always plays out; we have seen this play out many times before, where persons are asked to apply only to say that Turks and Caicos Islanders were interviewed, and with no intention of hiring them.”

“As the government did with the airport fireman, all the existing staff should simply be reassigned to the DMO,” he encouraged.

This week, the opposition leader said his fears were manifested: “We are now seeing the discharge of the current Tourist Board; the staff is being laid off…which they, the current PNP Government, said last year, during the 2022 Government Budget Debates and on other forums, was not going to happen.

The Hon Premier and his team claim that this is a ‘restructure’ of the tourist board, but we all know

‘demolition’ when we see it.”

He said it is alarming that an elected government could be so “uncaring, and unsympathetic” to their own people who put them in office, and that they can be so “disrespectful and insensitive” to such a cornerstone organisation as the Tourist Board, which has been in existence since the early 70s.

Astwood said he is in full agreement with those who see this dismantling and shutdown of the Tourist Board as a wrong move for TCI, its tourism industry, local people and employees of the board.

He has aligned himself with the comments and commentary of the former Minister of Tourism, Hon Ralph Higgs, and former management staff member Pauline Saunders.

Both have spoken out strongly against the Board being dismantled.

The opposition leader has once again proposed strengthening and enhancing the current staff and the capabilities of the existing Tourist Board, stating that even at this stage, it can still be done.

“Honourable Premier, Madam Minister of Tourism, Cabinet Ministers, it is not too late to readjust your course and head in the right direction.

“Listen to the people who elected you 14-1. It must be heartbreaking for these employees to bear witness to the occurrence that a government overwhelmingly elected by the people is intentionally destroying their livelihoods in this manner, and it is heartbreaking for the country to see our awardswinning, superstar Tourist Board and staff being treated in such an uncaring and dismissive manner.”

Tourism minister, Hon Josephine Connolly has spoken out amid the chorus of protest stating that the terminated staff have been fairly remunerated, emphasising again that they were given a chance to reapply for their positions with the DMO.

“A PDM government would not be dismantling the Tourist Board, but rather we would offer advanced and specialised training opportunities to existing staff, enhance performance, greater boost capabilities, strengthen and expand partnerships, and diversify the functioning and structure of the existing Tourist Board and its staff complement, in order for the Board to be fully capable of leading our tourism sector into the future,” Astwood said in response to the minister’s assurances.