Mitchell: Merged ministry shows PM's brilliance

New Minister of Tourism, Culture and the Arts Randall Mitchell thinks his merged ministry is “evidence of the brilliance and forward thinking” of the Prime Minister.

In the previous PNM Government, Mitchell was the Minister of Tourism. In this new administration, the ministry is now Tourism, Culture and the Arts.

Speaking with Newsday via phone on Thursday, Mitchell explained why he was pleased with the combination.

“Tourism, culture and the arts is the perfect alignment. When you are talking about tourism, you are talking about marketing not just a destination but also the culture, the people, the arts of that destination.”

He added that previously there would be times when NCC was marketing Carnival and Tourism Trinidad – the entity formed to advance Trinidad’s tourism sector – would also be marketing Carnival, but they were operating in silos and there would be misalignment, he said.

So Mitchell said the merger is a great marriage and he thinks brighter days are ahead as a result,

As for Carnival, Mitchell is expected to meet with stakeholders within the coming days.

He added that since the world was in the midst of a pandemic, Carnival would be conditional on whether or not a vaccine for covid19 is developed,and how quickly.

Mitchell said Carnival itself was a tremendous economic product from TT and there were lots of stakeholders and people whose livelihoods are integral to Carnival.

“So I have to speak with the NCC and other stakeholders and determine what is the status of Carnival and determine what type of Carnival, if we can have it at all.”

Mitchell thanked Dr Rowley for the confidence that he continued to repose in him, and also thanked the public for electing another PNM government.