By AVA TURNQUEST

Tribune Chief Reporter

aturnquest@tribunemedia.net

THE Ministry of Tourism has re-engaged the services of global public relations firm Weber Shandwick to provide communications support in the US and Canada, according to an industry newswire.

The announcement was made by the firm on August 9, and distributed via PRNewswire, which reported that the ministry did not issue a request for proposals (RFP) for the job and that budget information was not disclosed.

Weber Shandwick was dropped in 2013 by the former Progressive Liberal Party administration after an 18-year long run with the ministry.

Alice Diaz, EVP of Weber’s travel and lifestyle practice, told PR Week that ties were severed in 2013 due to “budget restructuring issues.”

Attempts to reach Tourism Minister Dionisio D’Aguilar for comment were unsuccessful up to press time.

The partnership follows redundancies in the Ministry of Tourism’s Grand Bahama office earlier this month that affected 11 persons.

In July, 12 persons were recalled to Nassau after the ministry amalgamated its Washington, DC and Los Angeles offices with New York and Houston.

Mr D’Aguilar had previously said that move would save around $1 million a year.

According to the release, Weber Shandwick will also assist with project work in the UK and Latin America.

“In May of this year, Hon Dionisio James D’Aguilar was named minister of tourism, taking charge of one of the most crucial portfolios in the Bahamas,” the release read.

“Together with Weber Shandwick, his team takes on the challenge of effectively promoting the 16 islands, which comprise a uniquely varied vacation option for travellers.

“Weber Shandwick will work with the Ministry of Tourism team on a comprehensive strategic programme to market the islands. In addition to benefitting from the agency’s previous 18 years of work for the destination, the Bahamas programme will centre on an integrated approach enabling the destination to reach consumers with greater efficiency and effectiveness.

“The Ministry of Tourism actively promotes the distinctive beauty, culture and character of 16 of our 700 islands for tourism. This array of choice is a complex marketing challenge that drives us to deliver creative storytelling,” said the release.

Joy Jibrilu, director general at the Ministry of Tourism, was also quoted in the article and expressed optimism for the partnership. She credited the firm’s experience with the destination, creativity and industry-leading expertise.

The Bahamas programme will be led by Weber Shandwick’s Travel & Lifestyle practice, according to the release, which noted the firm’s achievements, including Bronze Anvils, Big Apple awards and HSMAI Platinum awards for past Bahamas Ministry of Tourism programmes.

Yesterday, a former tourism official heralded the move as a “commonsense” decision based on industry standards.

“The idea that an organisation such as the Ministry of Tourism would not have a PR agency is something that is so extraordinary,” the former tourism official said. “The justification doesn’t make sense. General Motors has a PR agency. Microsoft has a PR agency. They are huge companies with the capacity to hire the best to do it all internally, but they have PR agencies. It is just a professional requirement and the large reason very simple.

“This is somebody also saying something good about you. If you’re dealing with Tribune, NY Times, you want people to return your call. These relationships have been established for decades. If you’re truly interested in building talent, you get people associated with those that have knowledge and capacity. If they don’t do that, we’re all out to sea,” the official said.

“Go and find those countries adding people to offices overseas, go find them, they don’t exist. Either you’re a genius and you just know something that nobody else can see or you recognize the world has changed. Digital technology is taking over a lot of work that people used to do manually. You can choose not to do that, but you can waste a lot of money doing so.”