Barbadian appointed first CEO of the GTA

Rudy Grant, a former Parliamentary Secretary in the Ministry of Tourism and International Transport of the Owen Arthur administration in Barbados is the first Chief Executive Officer of the Grenada Tourism Authority (GTA), which came into effect as of January 1, 2014.

Grant, who according to an online search is a management consultant, has also served as a Senator in 2003, and was also employed as a senior consultant in that island’s Ministry of Economic Affairs.

Tourism Minister, Alexandra Otway-Noel, said that the decision to upgrade from a tourism board to an authority is part of a strategic plan launched in 2012 that involved input from hundreds of tourism stakeholders.

“This would lead to increased marketing opportunities, greater potential for earning and better partnership with airlines and cruise ships, among other benefits,” she told Parliament, while making a contribution to the 2014 Budget debate.

Mr. Steve Horsford, who is the person tasked with the responsibility of transitioning the Board to the Authority, said that all negotiations have been completed with regards to staff compensation, but the complete handing over and unveiling of the Authority will be done during the first quarter of 2014.

“Although it’s functioning as the Authority from January 2 with the appointment of the new CEO and other staff, there will be a proper launching and handing over and I expect that to be done during the first quarter of the year, but in the interim, work is taking place,” he said.

The authority is expected to embark on a branding campaign that will involve the unveiling of a new logo, changing of physical address and contact information such as telephone and e-mail address. Horsford said that the new home of the Authority will be on the second floor of the Esplanade Cruise Ship Terminal.

“We have to inform the general public, our clients and all the relevant stakeholders of these administrative changes, but at present, we are continuing to use existing contacts and other information to let people know when the change will officially come into effect,” he said.

Since its inception in the early ’80s, the Board’s office was located at Burns Point, close to the location which was the main entrance for cruise ship passengers until the new cruise terminal became operational during the mid-2000s. (LS)