THE DMO AND GOVERNMENT PREDICTIONS

According to Premier Washington Misick, the Turks and Caicos Islands Destination Marketing and Management Organisation (DMO) is taking shape, and last week the government shared with the public more information about the make-up and financing of the public-private venture.

To accommodate this, Premier Misick, along with the minister of tourism hosted an event at The Shore Club. In attendance were officials of the new DMO and members of the public.

The Premier said the DMO will have a board of directors, with an executive management, which will be accountable to the board.

He further explained that the financial model will be based on the co-financing of the annual budget by both the public and private tourism stakeholders. The generation of revenue through DMO activities, he noted, will be an important source of income. Misick said the territory will go from normal growth to exceptional performance in the tourism industry. He added that the increased wealth is estimated at $640m- a sum that considers direct, indirect and induced economic impacts, compared to business as per usual without the DMO out of that $640m, the direct economic impact on hotels and restaurants will be $467m, and a $173m of indirect and induced economic impact.

As outlined in the Premier's presentation, these additional revenues from the tourism industry will stimulate new investments, job opportunities and a better quality of life for residents.

What are your thoughts?

Little hope or trust

There is little hope or trust from the litany of promises made by this government about the benefits for the economy that any significant trickle-down effect will fall onto the Turks & Caicos Islander.

During the debate on the Service Charge benefit when the former PDM Government passed a law that 100% of the service charge should go to the worker, the PNP Opposition fought the measure tooth and nail, lockstep with the Hotel Association, TCHTA, the Grace Bay Mafia, to oppose the idea. Now that they are in office they are showing far more than any government has ever done to abandon control of the TCI’s number industry to that self-same private sector.

This is concerning to the Turks & Caicos Islander for so many reasons. Already the "TCIslander" feels replaced, removed and totally out of the control of His leading industry. Now they are going to hand control of tourism from a government-owned tourist

Silent backbenchers

This is an economic and political gamble on the part of the government. They bank on the idea that the next election is in 2025 and that the public will have a short memory then, they can always take monies, bribes, handouts, etc. to ensure that the voter forgets how he was sold out in his own country ad that that people will “always forget”.

Yet this is something that is fatal to the self-image of the TCIslander in his own country. Curiously no cabinet minister, backbencher or appointed member has broken ranks with the government on this issue. Either they are told to be quiet, do not understand the issue or simply do not care. They are not out there supporting or decrying the decision.

plan or latter day restructuring the same could be applied to the tourist board. Being a statutory entity, created by law, the tourist board could have taken on a new business plan and entered into Joint ventures with private sector entity but getting rid of the “whole cow” is sheer madness.

The Minister of Finance making a comparison to the Apple computer product is hapless, misguided, clueless and pales in comparison to getting rid of the entire tourism administration. It is too esoteric and unreal. The economic growth projections do not promise anything for the man on the street. The idea to go private is unprecedented and one that this Government will regret enormously.

board to a wholly owned Private Sector Destination Management Organisation (the DMO). This is going too far towards an abdication of responsibility. Despite the press conference held by the Premier, the public remains in the dark about critical and salient features of this DMO. Have they displayed any terms of reference to the public? What about the instruments creating the entity?

Who will hire the new staff, who will interview them and what about financial control? Too much about the DMO is akin to “Heat in the Night” and the people who matter most in the Turks & Caicos Islanders, the TCI native, know little if “nothing” about this DMO. This is globalism at its finest where the people of a country have little say and control over how their country is run. It is a massive sell-out of the TCIslander and his vital interest in the tourism industry. This will mark the end of this current government. It is simply just not a good idea.

Their silence speaks volumes and in light of the negative reaction from the public, it’s loud that they oppose the decision but have decided to fall in line with the high command to “shut up”. Being part of a 14seat parliament with one elected opposition official, this crop of backbenchers of the PNP government have an absolute duty and obligation to speak out on this most critical of issues. How could they remain silent and watch the government sell out the tourist board and that age-old legacy of administering tourism in the TCI?

They cannot rely on the debate of the Leader of the Opposition, his defence of the tourist board and outgoing staff. More needs to be said and this must come from the PNP back bench. The escaping promises made by the Premier cannot justify this major sell-out.

Apple computer comparison clueless

There is little to "nothing" that this proposed Destination Management Organisation (DMO) could do that the tourist board was not capable of. If there was any business

Already the job opportunities in the private sector are held for the outsider. Grace Bay is so consolidated with money that very little economic opportunity will go to the TCIslander. The promises made by the Premier are too wide and will fall out of the native community. So far from what the public can see, the stakeholders are not "them" but other people. This is the pattern of Grace Bay and will be the same mode that will prevail under the DMO.

Give it a chance

We can talk all day, but nothing is going to happen. The DMO is here to stay, at least in the interim, we are a voting population with the capacity to enact needed change.

Let’s give them a chance.

This will either be a brilliant decision or a colossal failure—time would tell.