SXMElections.com

~ Awaiting government action ~

PHILIPSBURG--The long-awaited and widely publicised St. Maarten Tourism Authority (STA) Foundation is currently "without a board, any employees, director and zero funds," and only three of the five Supervisory Council positions are filled, "with vacancies awaiting Government action to fill the other two positions."

This is the crux of the issue, according to the three Supervisory Council members remaining at the STA Foundation, who said they wished to inform the public that "the STA has yet to be activated."

In developments that had not been made public, Supervisory Council member Mark Mingo, the chairman, who represented St. Maarten Harbour Group of Companies (SHGC), resigned at least three months ago.

The fifth and final Supervisory Council member Ramzy Dennaoui, who was previously part of Ministry of Tourism, Economic Affairs, Transport and Telecommunication (TEATT), resigned around the same time and has not been replaced as the Government representative.

Finally, the Board, which consisted of only one member, Interim Director Jaap van Duinkerken, is now non-existent because his contract, which was meant to be temporary, has expired already.

Essential appointments are the responsibility of Government to provide, as stipulated in STA's Articles of Incorporation. According to the articles, the TEATT Minister in power also would be responsible for appointing additional members to the board, with the understanding that at least one would be a civil servant from the St. Maarten Tourist Bureau. However, additional members never were appointed.

Without a board in particular, the foundation is at a standstill, as the role of the Supervisory Council is essentially to supervise the policy and management of the board and its general course of affairs. The board would be giving structure to the functioning of the foundation and would get affairs up and running.

Appointments by all stakeholders, including the ministry, should have been submitted within 60 days of the foundation's incorporation nearly a year ago – on August 19, 2014. SHGC put forward a nomination that has not yet been ratified by the TEATT Minister, currently Claret Connor. The foundation was incorporated under former TEATT Minister Ted Richardson.

The STA Foundation spoke up in light of widespread questions and criticism of the destination's lack of tourism marketing: "The members of the Supervisory Council of the St. Maarten Tourism Authority (STA) would like to clarify what is and what is not happening with the STA, especially in light of the many comments pouring in from overseas travel partners over the lack of tourism promotion by St. Maarten."

There has been criticism by the public, in the media, by tourism representatives enquiring about contracts, tour operators and most recently Expedia Inc.

The remaining members of the Supervisory Council are Regina LaBega, appointed by Princess Juliana International Airport Operating Company, who alongside Mingo incorporated the foundation; Keith Graham, appointed by St. Maarten Hospitality and Trade Association (SHTA), the foundation's original Vice Chairman, now Chairman; and Jim Rosen, appointed by St. Maarten Timeshare Association (SMTA).

In addition to the board and a five-member Supervisory Council, the foundation includes a six-member Advisory Committee to assist the Supervisory Council at its request. This committee is partially formed.

"The STA is essentially a foundation on paper at this point in time. The legal structure of this foundation was chosen by the previous Council of Ministers as a temporary construction that would allow funds from Government's destination marketing and tourism product development budget to go to work in a more effective and timely manner.

"As a secondary point, the STA Foundation would allow private sector entities and Government companies involved in tourism to contribute expertise in an advisory capacity only and potentially money as well, still under Government control," the Council said.

The intent was to create an independent governing body (or "Zelfstandig Bestuursorgaan" ZBO) by national ordinance, as quickly as possible, that would replace the foundation and allow for structural private sector contributions. This was expected to take 18 months to 2 years, the Council said.

The Daily Herald's previous attempts to obtain any updates from Ministry TEATT have proven futile.

The need for an STA has long been underscored by various industry stakeholders, to increase efficiency by shortening the process of decision-making and to decrease various costs related to inefficiencies. The foundation's incorporation was touted as "a momentous occasion, a historic development for the country with respect to marketing the destination," in TEATT's initial announcement.

However, when this newspaper reached out to various tourism stakeholders after the announcement of the STA Foundation's incorporation, the general impression was that while they were happy about a step in the right direction, they also were sceptical about its materialisation.