MoT urges GB board restructuring

Fri, Jun 15th 2012, 12:18 PM

The Ministry of Tourism says it is committed to working with the Grand Lucayan resort "without looking back" despite its withdrawal from the Grand Bahama Island Tourism Board.
While negotiations are ongoing, the ministry's director general David Johnson said some kind of board or committee to steer Grand Bahama forward is needed, and the government is willing to take whatever measures necessary to make sure that happens.
He suggested to Guardian Business that perhaps the board could be restructured to accommodate the resort.
"We met with them, answered their questions, and gave them an assurance to work with them and review matters to see how we can strengthen the board. A board is useful," said Johnson. "A committee or board is needed. We have agreed to assist them in taking whatever measures they need to be taken."
Top executives from Hong Kong based conglomerate Hutchison Whampoa are in Freeport this week to discuss the firm's second quarter results.
Dr. John Meredith, the group managing director and The Bahamas' honorary consul in Hong Kong, was unavailable for comment.
Guardian Business understands that the main cause of the Grand Lucayan's pull out is a disparity in contributions to the promotional and marketing fund. The largest resort in Grand Bahama felt it was better served spending those dollars independently, rather than pooling money with other stakeholders.
The island, which has an unemployment rate of 21 percent, is now at a crucial stage as government officials and local businesses try to turn the country's second city around.
The recently elected Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) has appointed Michael Darville at the post of minister of Grand Bahama to help achieve this rebound.
Johnson declined to discuss the particulars of Grand Lucayan's decision to pull out of the board.
"It's optional to be a member and they have chosen not to be involved. But we are discussing the Grand Bahama Tourism Board and what role they can still have in it," he said.
He explained that no stakeholder on Grand Bahama can afford to work independently, and he expressed hope that all parties can continue to work together. Johnson said a "broader picture" must be taken, rather than focusing on grievances and the reason behind the withdrawal.
"We have to talk about the future," he insisted. " What is the future composition of the players, and how we can get the collaboration. So we take a blank sheet, and see what it takes."
The ultimate goal, he added, is to get the whole strip open and entice more tourists to the area. Both sides share this goal, Johnson said.
Guardian Business spoke with the director general from Florida, where he was attending a key conference on the upcoming revamp of Bahamas.com. With the launch just 30 days away, the Ministry of Tourism is planning a new online product to market the Family Islands, including Grand Bahama, and a series of new commercials will be rolled out across North America.

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