‘Tourist Board useless in marketing Festival’ - 2013 Report
The 2013 Report which was laid on the Table of the House of Assembly on September 25, 2014 is no different.
BVI TB leaves much to be desired - promises made not kept!
Taxpayers and Government Leaders will have to be very concerned that the BVI Tourist Board (BVITB) receives from the government coffers millions and millions of dollars to market the Virgin Islands and has engaged many high priced overseas marketing firms to help them carry out this mandate.
However, the Virgin Islands Festival and Fairs Committee 2013 report has dubbed the BVI Tourist Board as useless in marketing the Festival activities.
One will need to ask if they cannot market the Festival how could they market the entire Virgin Islands?
In the report on page 13 it stated that “Marketing for Festival leaves much to be desired”. It went on to say that at this stage of Festival development, marketing needs to be separately funded and no longer dependent on funds from the BVI Tourist Board.
The report blasted the BVI TB saying, “in 2012 and 2013 Virgin Islands Festival and Fairs Committee was promised certain promotional plans by the BVI TB, but these were never realised at the level that they were promised.”
The Director of the BVI Tourist Board is Mrs. Sharon Flax and the Chairman is Russell Harrigan.
VG Festival - Rupert S. Vanterpool under fire again!
According to the report the Virgin Islands Festival and Fairs Committee (VIF&FC) became more hands on with the Virgin Gorda Festival Committee in 2013. However, while they were more involved “there seemed to be miscommunications between the executive body and the Sub-Committee.”
The 2013 report stated that the VIF&FC received a report from Mr. Rupert S. Vanterpool the then Chairman of the Virgin Gorda Festival Committee, however “monies showing outstanding compared to monies that were paid out in outstanding debt could not be accurately compared.”
The 2013 report said, “in fact, the sub Committee nearly doubled their budget based on outstanding invoices received and paid by the VIF&FC.”
In addition, the report claims that, “there were several complaints made by members of the Virgin Gorda Festival Committee expressing their dissatisfaction with the management style displayed by the Sub-Committee Chairman.”
The VI Festival and Fairs Committee will have to work even more closely with the Virgin Gorda Festival Committee for the 2014 Festival Celebrations the report concluded.
Lack of funding another issue
The VI Festival and Fairs Committee report of 2013 claim that in 2012 the Festival needed at least $1.3 Million to manage it effectively. “Unfortunately, once again we were only given $640,500.00 which automatically puts the Committee at a deficit,” the report said.
This area needs to be seriously addressed by the Government, if they wish to have a successful celebration as the VIF &FC is responsible for Festival celebrations in four locations with that sum and even as the Committee continues to cut cost, it is still not adequate, the report asserts.
The Chairman of the Virgin Islands Festival and Fairs Committee is Mr Marvin 'MB' Blyden and the Minister for Culture is the controversial Honourable Myron V. Walwyn.
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