Minister McNeill announces new JTB board

Minister of Tourism and Entertainment Dr Wykeham McNeill is expressing great confidence in the ability of the newly appointed 10-member board of directors of the Jamaica Tourist Board (JTB), which he announced earlier last week.

According to Minister McNeill, "The new board, under the astute chairmanship of Mr Dennis Morrison, possesses the right skill set to steer this entity into the future. I think he did a good job before, and I repose great confidence in him to lead this organisation once again. I hope that, as we seek to move forward, as a board we can ensure continued positive effects for Jamaica such as increases in our arrival figures and tourism earnings, as well as the diversification of our tourism product."

In issuing his charge to the board, McNeill outlined: "I think the board has a good blend of members with valuable experience led, of course, by Mr Morrison and the director of tourism and former Chairman Mr John Lynch. Likewise, we will also benefit from the experience of former president of the Jamaica Hotel and Tourist Association, Mr Wayne Cummings, and the current president, Mrs Evelyn Smith, to name a few. In addition to those persons, we have an excellent mix of young, vibrant members such as vice-president of Jamaica Tours Limited, Mr Noel Sloley Jr, and managing director at Chukka Caribbean Adventures, Mr Marc Melville."

FRESH IDEAS

The other members of the board are former Director of Tourism Paul Pennicook; general manager of Rondell Village Limited, Carolyn Wright; vice-president of corporate marketing and environmental affairs at SuperClubs, Zein Issa-Nakash, and local hotelier Kevin Hendrickson.

McNeill was quick to note that "of this group, only Mr Lynch, Mrs Smith, Mrs Issa-Nakash and Mr Pennicook served on the outgoing board, while all the other members are new to the team, though some have served on the board in previous years. I know they will bring fresh ideas and we look forward to their contribution".

The minister said, "I think that the board possesses the right combination of skills to move this organisation forward, and to help steer our tourism sector into a new frontier. The ministry has changed with the addition of entertainment, so moving forward the board will have to incorporate this aspect more in our marketing efforts, given the strong synergies between entertainment and tourism. There has to be that coming together to ensure that both sides of the ministry are successful."

The minister added that "there are a few key issues that we must move to address speedily, as we are facing a few challenges, such as the impact that warm weather in some of our markets is having on bookings. The issue of marketing remains high on the agenda as we continue our drive to bolster our position in traditional markets while tapping into emerging markets. Addressing the organisational structure of JTB is also an issue this board will have to examine. Though we have been winning many awards, I believe organisations should be under constant review as we seek to improve efficiencies and enhance our internal structures."

Minister McNeill said, "I thank you all for accepting this challenge and I look forward to a very fruitful and successful tenure for you all, and I hope you will enjoy your period on the board."

Newly appointed JTB Chairman, Dennis Morrison, expressed that "after serving in this capacity from 2002 to 2007, I am very honoured to be asked to serve again. I am happy that Minister McNeill has placed such confidence in me. I welcome all the members of the board, and I look forward to working with them in a collaborative way, as this is critical to ensuring that we are successful in discharging our duties".