On Friday, Minister of Tourism and International Transport, Senator Lisa Cummins, announced the appointment of longstanding tourism practitioner, Roseanne Myers, to Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Barbados Tourism Marketing Inc. (BTMI) and Barbados Tourism Product Authority (BTPA).
Myers brings 39 years’ experience to the table as she takes up the post, with the mandate to build and execute a revamped tourism framework that will competitively position Destination Barbados coming out of COVID-19.
Speaking on the new appointment, Cummins expressed, “This is a critical time for tourism and we need our best thinkers on economics, investment, business, trade, social policy and industrial relations, education, international and community development. We need our youth, entrepreneurs and every single stakeholder all together at the table of policy development and implementation. Mrs. Myers is an exceptional tourism professional who has successfully run Atlantis Submarines as a marquis attraction. She brings with her a history of leadership that includes stakeholders at every single level.
“From hoteliers, to workers, to attractions across the direct tourism services to international partners and regional partners, she is capable of strong leadership and I am very much looking forward to working with her as we reshape our sector to face the challenges of the now, the opportunities of the future, and position our institutions and people to meet the requirements of the new tourism sector. We need all Barbadians at the table so we can have an all Barbados approach,” Cummins said.
Currently the General Manager of Atlantis Submarines Barbados, Myers has served as director on the boards of several major public and private sector tourism institutions including the BTMI, Barbados Port Inc. (BPI), Tourism Development Corporation (TDC), Deputy Chair of Kensington Oval Management Inc. (KOMI), and Chair of the Barbados Hotel and Tourism Association (BHTA). She is also a director on the board of the Barbados Tourism Investment Inc. (BTII).
Commenting on her immediate plans and objectives for navigating the organization through the current crisis, Myers stated “As I assume the Chairmanship of the Barbados Tourism Marketing Inc. and Barbados Tourism Product Authority, I am committed to leading the tourism sector to creating a path for ‘when’ and not ‘if’ tourism survives this shock, and to shaping the form it emerges. Firstly, I recognize that the challenge should more strategically be seen as the greatest test for the country, more so than just the tourism sector.
“When we adopt the wider perspective, it will help the organization to better answer the hard questions – how can we support the primary focus on safeguarding lives today, while reengineering ourselves and providing creative ‘thought’ leadership to guide the sector to secure livelihoods for the immediate and long-term future. The first task is to align national and organizational goals; second is to listen and respect the institutional knowledge; and third to structure a data-driven approach to craft the way forward.
“I look forward to working with the BTMI and BTPA team, and the public and private sector in this regard. Survival requires all hands-on deck.”
