| Board repairs debt issues, promotes TCI | | Print | |
| Written by Richard Green/richard@fptci.com | |||
| Thursday, 17 February 2011 12:16 | |||
 Once mired in $8 million of debt, a much leaner Tourist Board is nearly solvent now and is increasing its promotion of the Turks and Caicos Islands. Acting Tourist Board Director Ralph Higgs said the interim government put up more than $3.5 million to help settle the huge debt the board had run up, and much of the balance has been reduced by creditors. Some of those creditors were big travel magazines, which now are running TCI ads for the board on a pay-as-you-go basis. “Some publications that the board has placed inserts in include Caribbean Travel and Life, Destination Weddings and Honeymoon, American Way, Celebrated Living, USA Today, Dreamscapes, Uptown, etc.,” Higgs said. In December the board sent termination letters to 11 employees, reducing the staff by almost 50 percent. The annual budget has been reduced from $8 million in 2006-07 to $2.7 million this year and next, Higgs said. Other savings were achieved by relocating “huge and extravagant” offices in Manhattan and London, he said. A new 60-day ad campaign in the Big Apple will put the TCI on huge display in Times Square, Higgs said. The board also has resumed exhibiting at Diving Equipment and Marketing Association conventions in the U.S. and Europe to promote diving, especially on Grand Turk and Salt Cay. Despite big changes at the board, its future is still unclear. A Tourism Working Group appointed by the governor suggested in July that the board be replaced by a Tourism Authority controlled by a board of eight private businessmen and four ex-officio members from government. The group recommended an authority staff of 14 employees during its first year, adding seven more by the third year, with total salaries and benefits of $1.3 million in a total budget of about $4 million. The current Tourist Board would then be responsible only for managing a programme for enhancing awareness and educating the population on tourism. No action has been taken on the group’s recommendations, which include splitting the current 11 percent accommodations tax so that the new authority would get 2 percent for operations and the government would get 9 percent.
|
Related Articles
Entertainment: Your Island Guide
|
Top things to do in April Top things to do in April 1. From Golfing to More... |
|
Valentine’s Day Cup 2013 model sailboat races The Middle Caicos Sailboat Association will once again present the annual model sailboat races at More... |
|
Lime and Tourist Board announce weekly Fish Fry The Turks & Caicos Tourist Board & LIME partner with Cultural Fish Fry The Turks & Caicos Tourist More... |
|
Turks & Caicos Reef Fun to host dazzling evening The Turks and Caicos Reef Fund will host its 2nd Annual Cocktail Party Reception on Jan. 26 at the More... |
|
Fashion Glam at Regent Palms The Regent Palms is inviting everyone to an evening of fashion and glamour at their event being More... |
Latest Community News
|
Cholera Clinical Management Training Held in the TCI Healthcare professionals from the TCI Health Services were trained in the Clinical Management of More... |
|
Illegal Haitian immigrants Intercepted Illegal Haitian Immigrants Intercepted, to the Repatriated According to the Ministry of Border More... |
|
Ministry of Health Reminding public about sanitation Health surveillance teams attached to the Ministry of Health and Human Services (MOHHS) have More... |
|
Scholarship applications now being accepted The Ministry of Education has announced that they are now accepting applications for scholarships More... |
|
History and traditions stay alive at the 13th annual boat races in Middle Caicos The 2013 Valentines Day Cup welcomed many fun loving residents and tourists to Middle Caicos’ More... |