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As part of the Government change over, Russell Harrigan has resigned from his position as Chairman of the British Virgin Islands Tourist Board. “It’s the responsible thing to do,” Harrigan said. “I want to give the new Government a chance to appoint a board of their liking so they can follow their policies and direction.” With his resignation, the 11-member Tourist Board has also been dissolved. Harrigan served in the unpaid positon for four years, he said. With 30 years of experience in tourism, he said the Territory has to be aggressive in defending its market share in the global industry. “Tourism is very competitive, and since it is responsible for as much as 40 percent of our gross domestic product, it is important for us to remain competitive,” Harrigan said. Because tourism is such a large part of the BVI economy, the success of most of the Territory’s businesses is tied to it, Harrigan said. Many BVIslanders are heavily invested in tourism-related businesses so it is important for the Tourism Board to continue working hard to keep the industry successful, added the former Chairman. Recent figures show a 10 percent drop for destinations like Jamaica , St. Lucia and Grenada , while Puerto Rico dropped 9 percent and the United States Virgin Islands dropped 7 percent. Despite the trend, the BVI’s numbers continue to grow – but not without strategy and hard work, Harrigan insisted. Ralph O’Neal, the new Premier and Minister of Finance and Tourism could not be reached for comment. The dissolution of the tourism board is a standard move with a new Government, said Chuck Tobias of Pusser’s Rum, who was part of the board for four years during the NDP Government. Not much will change, he speculated, because the advertisement campaigns are determined a year ahead of time. Some tourism strategies could change, however, he said. “There’s no ill will, only cooperation for an orderly handover,” Tobias said. Everyone is working together, because they realize how important tourism is to the BVI economy, he said. There is a lot of talent to draw from in the tourism industry here, he said, and he is excited to see the new board move forward. As manager of Little Dix Bay, a resort that has maintained its position as one of the world’s top resorts for over 40 years, Sharon Flax understands how to stay competitive in this global tourism market. Staff training is a key element, she said, and a programme to interest school children in the industry is being planned. Flax was a member of the board as well.
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