Mitchell wants facts on Tourism CEO firing

JOAN RAMPERSAD AND YVONNE WEBB

Tourism Minister Randall Mitchell wants to get all facts surrounding the firing of the Tourism Trinidad Ltd’s CEO Camille Campbell, by chairman of the company’s board of directors Janelle "Penny" Commissiong-Chow, in spite of a request to not do so by the minister.

When asked if any action would be taken against Commissiong-Chow, Mitchell yesterday responded in a text message stating: “It would be imprudent to take any action without first having consideration of all the facts. The facts must first come to light and I expect this to happen in due course.”

Campbell was fired after six months in the position, against advice from Mitchell, with the chair reportedly citing that Campbell’s performance wasn’t up to par, and there was a failure on her part to protect the organisation from risk.

The organisation also recorded a fall in tourist arrivals to TT for the past few months as well.

Tourism Trinidad Ltd was one of two companies formed in 2017 following the closure of the Tourism Development Company. The Tobago Tourism Agency,  a separate company, was formed to manage the affairs of Tobago.

On Thursday, Couva North MP Ramona Ramdial called on Mitchell to clear the air on the firing of Campbell and the alleged dispute among the trio.

Ramdial alluded to Mitchell's “poor relationship” with the former Miss Universe, saying he had not been in favour of some of her recent decisions on the promotion of Trinidad's tourism product.

Ramdial noted that two weeks ago the Caribbean Tourism Organisation recorded a 2.2 per cent drop in TT’s tourism sector,with a 28.8 per cent decline in cruise-ship arrivals despite assurances by Mitchell, in November 2018 that arrivals had increased by 145 per cent.

While the Caribbean region was the only one in the world to record a double-digit growth rate in arrivals during the first quarter of 2019, Ramdial said TT was one of three Caribbean destinations, including Haiti and Bermuda, to record negative growth in tourism.

“CEO of the Trinidad Hotels, Restaurants & Tourism Association Brian Frontin stated that TT has lost over 60,000 tourists from 2015 to present. These figures clearly illustrate the incompetence and incapability of the Tourism Minister and the Government in marketing and managing our tourism product on the international market to attract tourists,” said Ramdial.

“While Minister Mitchell fights with his board, our neighbouring islands are forging quickly ahead with their aggressive marketing strategies and reaping the financial benefits of such.”

 Ramdial said if at this time these disputes at Tourism Trinidad Ltd cannot be handled with a sense of maturity and patriotism, then the Prime Minister should intervene and fire those responsible for the instability as soon as possible.