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Draft Final Report, 19 th July, 2012 Currently there is no leadership providing vision and giving the direction necessary to achieve the MTBs mission and objectives. This situation does not auger well for stimulating confidence from the private sector tourism stakeholders and other strategic partners with which the MTB must constantly engage to redevelop and market tourism. Because of deficiencies in leadership and staff/budgetary resources there is no evidence of formal planning, with staff coping by handling matters as they arise, day by day. In the circumstances the lines of authority and definition of roles within the organisation are blurred and there are few opportunities for a transfer of expertise or professional development. Staffs get on with whatever task is at hand, and display a strong team spirit by “pitching in” wherever necessary. Consequently there is a strong focus on tasks that must be carried out rather than on results. 12.2.3 Culture Unit The organizational arrangements at the MTB are further complicated by the lack of clarity concerning its relationship with the Culture Unit. The Culture Unit was transferred from the Ministry of Youth Sports, Tourism and Culture to the Tourist Board by a cabinet decision in late 2009. Broadly speaking, the mandate of the Culture Unit is to: Preserve and promote Montserrat’s culture. To position Montserrat competitively in appropriate markets by increasing investment in cultural activities and to establish a culture policy. In practice the Unit seems to be immersed mainly in organizing festivals and events, and the performing arts. It also arranges for festival queens and cultural groups to attend and represent Montserrat at shows abroad. To a lesser extent some work is being done to archive Montserrat’s heritage such as folklore, stories, songs, sayings, games etc but from all accounts this has not been very successful. The Unit also publishes a quarterly newsletter. With regard to establishing a culture policy, no action has been taken regarding this task. However, recently a study – Towards the Formation of a National Culture Policy – was commissioned by the Office of the Premiere, with a deadline set for the Culture Policy to be completed by the end July. Administratively the unit is a part of the MTB. There are 4 staff members in the unit staff. It’s most senior officer, the Culture Coordinator reports to the Director of Tourism. One other post (the Events Coordinator) has recently been filled; a third post for a Cultural Officer has been approved and will be filled in a few weeks. The 4 th member of staff is a Clerical Officer. At present the unit sits physically apart from the MTB in the basement of a building in Brades, but it is anticipated that when the MTB moves into its new location at Little Bay, the Culture Unit will be relocated to those premises. At the operational level the Unit operates independently of the MTB – the Culture Coordinator meeting with the Director occasionally, mainly to discuss events that are planned and associated budgets. The interaction is described as “sporadic” rather than routine. However, the MTB does promote activities or festivals staged by the Unit. There seems to be an appreciation on the part of the Culture Coordinator for the connection between culture and tourism and the fact that the MTB promotes the festivals and events that the Unit coordinates. Beyond this there is no vision as to how the Unit could be better integrated into the MTB’s functions, what forms of collaboration could take place or the role which the Unit could play in fulfilling the MTB’s mandate. MONTSERRAT TOURISM DEVELOPMENT PLAN 2012 – 2022 45
Draft Final Report, 19 th July, 2012 12.2.4 Operations of MTB During Phase 2 of the Tourism Development Project 2008- 2011 the Management and staff of the Montserrat Tourist Board (MTB) were engaged with a wide range of activities reflecting the standard operating procedures of most National Tourism Organisations. The MTB activities included marketing and promotion (through intermediaries in neighbouring Antigua, Guadeloupe, The USA, Germany and The United Kingdom) , hosting media and travel trade visits, attending travel trade shows, and fulfilling information requests. In addition, on the development side, the MTB was fully engaged in improving the tourism product. These product development initiatives included the establishment of a network of nine hiking trails, a viewing area at Jack Boy Hill and the improvements to the Botanic Gardens (implemented by the National Trust). A significant omission from both the organizational structure of the MTB and its operations is a position with responsibility for the web site and internet marketing – a web master. The MTB web site is serviced by a company in Barbados (Acute Vision), but the company does not administer or manage the web site (e.g. updating content, answering queries etc). 12.3 MONTSERRAT NATIONAL TRUST The role of the Montserrat National Trust (MNT) is to preserve and promote the island’s national environment and its archaeological, historical and cultural resources for present and future generations. It is the repository of the island’s patrimony – managing the national museum at Little Bay, which has an extensive collection of documents on the history and environment of Montserrat. 12.4 MONTSERRAT VOLCANO OBSERVATORY The MVO is first and foremost a scientific centre, providing information on the state of activity of the volcano to the authorities and the public, making regular hazard and risk assessments. The MVO also functions as an interpretative centre for visitors. Audio/visuals are screened and lecture tours are conducted daily, explaining the history of the volcano, the eruptions, etc. The construction of the proposed Volcano Interpretation Centre (VIC) beside the National Museum at Little Bay will substantially improve the capacity of the MVO to provide this interpretative function. 12.5 MONTSERRAT DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION Formed in 2077, the Montserrat Development Corporation was established in 2007. Its mandate includes trade investment promotion as well as the wider services of a development corporation - property development and management (in particular Little Bay); business support for SMEs and microenterprises. 12.6 PRIVATE SECTOR The active associations relating to tourism are the • Montserrat Chamber of Commerce • Montserrat Tour and Taxi Association • Montserrat Tour Guides Association MONTSERRAT TOURISM DEVELOPMENT PLAN 2012 – 2022 46
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