Petition gaining traction slowly as it tries to ‘Stop the DMO’

Shanieka Smith & Deandrea Hamilton

Editorial Staff

#TurksandCaicos, April 21, 2023 – A number of residents in the Turks and Caicos Islands disagree with the recent change which dismantles the TCI Tourist Board and introduces the Turks and Caicos Destination Marketing & Management Company.  They are so opposed, a petition is now in circulation and it hopes to ‘Stop the DMO’.

Bylaws to establish the DMMC were signed at the Office of the Premier on Friday April 14, nearly two dozen tourism and travel executives were on hand to sign the documents with Government.  The petition has many signatures too, more than half of the 200 is it looking to secure to drive home the point that many people are not in support of the new tourism entity.

The petition was organized by Jamela Mitchell, who believes “the DMO will erode our cultural values and traditions.”

The petition expressed a concern that the DMO will not only be harmful to the livelihood of the community but also put “significant pressure” on the islands’ natural resources. It aims to gain the attention of the Government to ask for reconsideration.

As of April 20, 207 signatures have been added to the petition. That is 207 residents who believe a more “community-led approach to tourism management,” would be ideal.

The petition also explained it believed the DMO’s marketing style would negatively impact the authenticity of the Turks and Caicos tourism experience.  It was said the DMO would promote a “homogenized” and “commodified” version of the islands’ culture for “mass tourism” which the author fears will limit opportunities for smaller operators in the industry.