I accept the protocol which was established but I would like to pay my respect to the Honorable Premier Charles Washington Misick, my Cabinet Colleagues, Honorable Deputy Premier EJ Saunders, Honorable Arlington Musgrove the Minister of Immigration and Boarder Services, my Deputy Permanent Secretary Arthur Been and Ronlee James, the Director of DECR Lormeka Williams, ladies and gentlemen of the media and Press Corp, my fellow Turks and Caicos Islanders listening in live on social media and on the radio, good afternoon.
Much has been said over the past few days since the signing of the by-laws and establishing the Destination Marketing and Management Organization (DMO).
It is most unfortunate that much of the information presented is either incorrect (and) or untrue. Whether it is by design for political advantage or self-gratification, or to stoke fears amongst our people, peddling untruths and misinformation creates chaos.
Bertrand Russell, a famed philosopher said “most of the greatest evils that man has inflicted upon man have come through people feeling quite certain about something which, in fact, was false. So today I wish to dispel all misinformation, correct all assumptions and most importantly, give you, my fellow Turks and Caicos Islanders the facts, details on how this new organization will benefit you.
And I will do so, as a heritage straight shooter, in a clear and concise way, so that you have a clear understanding and appreciation for how this DMO will work for you, and what influenced our decision.
The fact is, many countries in the Caribbean are positioning themselves to be more like Turks and Caicos, to shift from mass tourism towards more luxury tourism.
We now have to step up our game, we have to become more strategic in our marketing, we have to develop and promote more local products, enhance the on-island experience for our visitors so that they can keep coming back again and again.
It is not enough to say we have sun, sand and beaches; we have to develop more opportunities for our visitors to be immersed in our culture, our local food and mingle and enjoy the warmth of out people. This cannot be done in isolation; this cannot be achieved by the current Tourist Board, an organization whose mandate was purely for marketing. And I wish to again commend that organization and its staff for the stellar job they have done over the years.
As you can appreciate, we are a part of the global community, a community where change is constant. If we are to be serious players in the competitive environment, we needed to restructure the tourism management framework so that we can now have stakeholders all working together to develop products, services and improve guest experiences.
All stakeholder groups including:
• The Chamber of Commerce;
• Airports Authority;
• Ports Authority;
• Invest TCI;
• TCHTA;
• Tour Operators;
• Watersports Association;
• Taxi Association;
• Straw Vendors;
• National Trust and;
• Island/Community Representatives.
Under the current Tourist Board Ordinance, the process is driven by appointments made by politicians alone which has the effect of limiting and oftentimes excluding broad stakeholder representation.
The DMO is a public/private sector that is focused on comprehensive management of the destination at every visitor touch point. In other words, my people, what we have created, is an organization that put you, as a direct participants in charge of the growth and development of the tourism sector.
We are putting you in the co-pilot’s seat along with the Government to drive the economic development of this country for our children and future generations.
Now, you tell me, how is this wrong?
My fellow Turks and Caicos Islanders, we have spoken directly to some of you, and we have heard your concerns. You want and need to feel the direct benefits from the tourism industry, from the economic development of these islands.
For many years, the tourism sector developed unevenly, mainly to the benefit of Providenciales. The DMO will facilitate the balanced development of tourism across the archipelago to the benefit of all the communities. It will divide the islands into Tourism Improvement Districts (TID) to leverage the unique characteristics of each island.
The aim is to ensure that as much as possible of the tourism dollar remains in the local community. For the first time there will be a Tourism Improvement Fund (TIF) which will be spent on building capacity, developing attractions, and creating activities. The current Tourist Board model is incapable of doing this.
By nature of the DMO it will have strategic relationships with other key organizations within its membership, giving it the ability to leverage the entrepreneurial within its membership, giving it the ability to leverage the entrepreneurial spirit of young Turks and Caicos Islanders with marketing, training, funding, and business relationship development. This symbiotic relationship will deliver new products and services.
What does this all mean? Since the end of the pandemic, these islands have seen a surge in young people owning their own business, whether it is in tour operating or hair and makeup, or in culinary arts such as catering. The DMO will be an active agent for the marketing of your product to visitors.
Good products and good services must be promoted. Far too long we have left the small man, our young entrepreneurs to fend for themselves, find their own way and market their products. That modus operandi will be relegated to the dustbin. With the introduction of the DMO, we will identifying local businesses and actively marketing them as part of our local products and experiences.
I have been a successful businesswoman for over 40 years, I know the pride and feeling of accomplishment when you own your own business and I want that for every Turks and Caicos Islander in this country and my government likewise.
We have down our research; we have looked at current trends in the market. Our recent research showed us, that while tourism numbers may be high, the amount of money they are spending on island is gradually reducing. While my predecessor as Minister of Tourism was focused on looking solely at tourism arrivals as a measure of success, the DMO will be focused on the smart targeting of the high-end visitor and with higher potential spend per visit.
My people, the collection and dissemination of crucial data from the Tourist Board has been hampered by outmoded information systems which have raised questions about credibility. Upon completion of the assessment, the outcomes will be provided to the public.
The DMO will put the necessary mechanisms in place to have on time data, on which sound decisions to improve productivity of the sector can be made. We all know you cannot build a house on a weak foundation. Contractions will tell you, sometimes it is best to remove the structure, rebuild the foundation and then rebuild the building so that it can last for a lifetime.
We no longer will be engaging in the practice of marketing in the dark with the hope that visitors will come. The DMO will be founded on three pillars:
• Inclusive Growth
• Sustainable Development
• Competitiveness The DMO will be customer focused, data driven marketing to ensure that we continue to hold our place in luxury tourism.
The Destination Marketing and Management Organization (DMMO) is good for the country, it is good for our people, and it will be good for you too.
I thank you.