Jamaica Tourist Board Reappointed

Just two weeks ago the entire Jamaica Tourist Board quit. All of them (you may recall a post cleverly titled, Entire Jamaica Tourist Board Quits). The group resignation was designed to give Edmund Bartlett, Jamaica's Minister of Tourism, free rein to appoint a new board that could better address the current global financial crisis.

At the time of the resignation, Bartlett told reporters that a new board would be selected and in place by Dec. 15, the beginning of the winter season. According to a recent Travel Weekly article, there's been a change of plans:

Jamaica Minister of Tourism Edmund Bartlett has reappointed most of the Jamaica Tourist Board (JTB) members who tendered their resignations en masse last month.

So apparently good tourist board members are hard to find. Or maybe they all promised to take macroeconomics courses if they could have their jobs back. Either way, one important appointment did take place.

John Lynch, who resigned as chairman of the board before being reappointed as chairman of the board, was named Director of Tourism. In his new and additional role, Lynch will handle the day-to-day operations of the JTB and be responsible for the island nation's global marketing efforts.

As a former VP for Unique Vacations (the worldwide representative for Sandals Resorts) Lynch is extremely qualified for the position. Expect to see big things from Jamaica, including gaudy, brightly-colored bungalows, large fruity cocktails, kitschy atmosphere and self-promotional swimming pools nationwide.