Director General of Tourism Vincent Vanderpool-Wallace has been selected as the new Secretary General of the Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO).
Minister of Tourism Obie Wilchcombe made the announcement in New York last Thursday.
“This is something that we have been anticipating for some time as many will recall from my comments in the press,” Minister Wilchcombe said.
“It has been an open secret that the Caribbean Tourism Organization’s search committee had identified our Director General of Tourism as its first choice to replace the former Secretary General, Gene Holder, who retired at the end of last year. The CTO’s board of directors ratified that decision today.”
Mr. Vanderpool-Wallace came to The Bahamas Ministry of Tourism after an outstanding career in the private sector and was motivated to do so by a desire to help the Bahamas tourism team make the industry perform better for everyone in The Bahamas, the Ministry of Tourism said in a statement.
“I think we are succeeding spectacularly in that quest,” Minister Wilchcombe said. “Similarly, it is felt that Mr. Vanderpool-Wallace can make a positive contribution to the CTO’s team in its effort to make tourism perform better for all citizens of the region.”
The statement also said Mr. Vanderpool-Wallace’s selection is widely viewed as a strong endorsement by the members of the Caribbean Tourism Organization of The Bahamas’ tourism management principles.
The official start date of the new Secretary General’s administration is yet to be determined, but it will allow for the normal handover of his duties and responsibilities, the statement said.
“We are on a very steady path at the moment and there could be no better time to make this transition” Minister Wilchcombe continued.
“Our organizational capabilities have grown considerably over the past two years and those capabilities will continue to grow, to which effect further announcements will follow shortly. There was a deliberate developmental plan in the Ministry of Tourism and this has positioned us well to face the future.”
He added, “We certainly wish Mr. Vanderpool-Wallace the very best in this new role and we are looking forward to even greater benefits for The Bahamas as a result of efforts at the regional level,” the Minister concluded.
The Ministry of Tourism said it is proud that the Caribbean has selected “this outstanding Bahamian for this important leadership role.”
“It is an honour for The Bahamas and an honour for all Bahamians,” the statement concluded.
The Bahama Journal
