Government
Some left unsatisfied with DMMO Presser
By Dana Malcolm
Staff Writer
#TurksandCaicos, May 1, 2023 – Residents still have questions surrounding the Destination Marketing and Management Organization following the Government’s April 24th Press Conference. Those talking to Magnetic Media express confusion about why the Tourist Board was unsuitable for the project and whether legislative changes and hiring sprees for the body couldn’t have produced similar effects as those the DMO is promising.
Listed among concerns for residents is the jump in the Budget for the DMMO. It is set at $9 million for year one and projected to reach $16 million by year 5 of operations (2027), up from the roughly $3 million allocated to the Tourist Board. The Government says the DMMO will cost just over $3 million dollars to run, much like the Board, and the rest of this money will be poured into the marketing and promotion, product development, training, and other expenses.
This money will come from both the Government and private sector, and TCIG has not increased their percentage contribution but the dollar amount is expected to rise as arrivals increase.
Another concern for residents is the makeup of the Board of the DMMO as half the voting rights will go to the private sector. There’s no guarantee these representatives will vote for the good of the majority of Turks and Caicos Islanders, and the number of public board members are evenly matched with private sector partners. 
Jospehine Connolly, TCI Minister of Tourism quoted several reasons why TCIG felt the Board was unsuitable. In her speech at the press conference she said:
“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 minister went on to explain that the DMMO would be handling more cash with the creation of a new fund which the Tourist Board would not be able to do:
“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.”
Community Improvement Projects even in the sphere of the Tourism Industry are usually handled by the Government. Many residents question why the Tourist Board was not simply restructured via legislation so it could carry out these functions, and the elected Government and thus the people would remain in control of the country’s number one industry.
Finally, the Tourism Minister said: “Collection and dissemination of crucial data from the Tourist Board has been hampered by outmoded information systems which have raised questions about credibility.”
Again, an issue of genuine concern is presented but once again residents say this could have been fixed without crafting a wholly new organization.
Though the promised profits seem tantalizing, some residents believe a deeper look is needed, as they still question ‘why’ the DMMO, which signed its bylaws on April 14th, was cited as the singular way to bring about the touted changes and benefits.