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Was Billy Fired for Doing a Good job?

A  government issued Press Release gave credit to Billy Griffith for: pearheaded[ing] a 30 percent increase in visitor arrivals to Barbados to an all-time record of 682,000 in 2018, as air capacity to the island also grew by 22 percent. Total Visitor expenditure also increased by 34 percent during the period to USD $1.2 billion…

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A  government issued Press Release gave credit to Billy Griffith for:

pearheaded[ing] a 30 percent increase in visitor arrivals to Barbados to an all-time record of 682,000 in 2018, as air capacity to the island also grew by 22 percent. Total Visitor expenditure also increased by 34 percent during the period to USD $1.2 billion in 2018. Griffith oversaw high profile partnerships on behalf of the BTMI that led to the introduction of new flights to the island including Copa Airlines direct from Panama which began in 2018, and the Lufthansa direct service from Frankfurt, Germany, which commences Monday. His leadership of the organization also resulted in the destination receiving several major awards during his tenure as well as his personal achievement of being awarded ‘Caribbean Tourism Director of the Year 2019’ by Carib Journal earlier this year.

Billy Griffith press release
Press Release

48 responses to “Was Billy Fired for Doing a Good job?”

  1. Piece the Legend Avatar
    Piece the Legend

    It is better, in some industries TO MOVE OUT PEACEFULLY than to be pushed out.

    Under whose tenure was Billy Griffith engaged?

    Have you started to see Sandra Husbands’ diaspora thrust?

    Do you think that Billy is going to be allowed to stay under a BLP regime?

    FITED DOES NOT LOOK GOOD ON HIS RESUMÉ so you depart with all the sexy kudos

  2. Piece the Legend Avatar
    Piece the Legend

    Fired not fired.

  3. Hants Avatar
    Hants

    The bullshiit spin about searching for a new CEO could be just smoke and mirrors.

    It is my opinion that the New CEO has already been chosen.

    Buh doan mine me. I am distracted by the Ladies of Soul as posted in the Diaspora corner.

    Piece the Legend could say that my focus is on the music but my ex wives and ex girlfriends would have a different opinion.lol

  4. David Avatar
    David

    It is interesting Minister Symmonds is not reported to have made a statement regarding Billy Griffiths departure. If it was missed accept the apology.

  5. Enuff Avatar
    Enuff

    Well Billy at least you got a chance to see out your contract. The David Thompson administration served a man with a dismissal letter on the ABC Highway and he dead and gone long and never got a cent of his court ordered $1M pay out. This blog rejoiced when he was fired too.

  6. Enuff Avatar
    Enuff

    The BTMI moving to a Private-Public set up too anyway.

  7. Wily Coyote Avatar
    Wily Coyote

    1.2B$US and 628, 000 visitors shoulds like pie in the sky math. That means that every visitors spent $1900.00 US$, that’s $3800.00 Bds. No doubt the 628,000 number also included several thousand “visitors” that were only transiting for cruises which makes the $3800.00 even more unrealistic. FLUFF PROPAGANDA, Trumpism at it’s best.

    GARBAGE IN GARBAGE OUT.

  8. David Avatar
    David

    @enuff

    By all accounts he did a good job.

  9. David Avatar
    David

    @Wily

    Spend includes accommodating and other spend.

  10. Wily Coyote Avatar
    Wily Coyote

    @David October 26, 2019 8:23 AM

    You can include everything you want, airfare, meals, accommodation, entertainment etc, the numbers quoted are totally unrealistic. Typical Barbados announcement with no one asking appropriate questions.

    WILY THINKS BARBADOS WILL BE OUT OF DEBT BY XMAS, are you going to believe Wily and not ask any questions. GARBAGE IN GARBAGE OUT.

  11. David Avatar
    David

    @Wily

    You are making a statement and cluless about average stay, room rates and dispersion and other variables. If you are making a statement with such certainty back it up!

  12. Miller Avatar
    Miller

    @ Wily Coyote October 26, 2019 7:50 AM

    Inclined to agree with you! Just fluff and propaganda wrapped in ‘doctored’ statistical BS.

    If tourism has done so well for the country in 2018 why isn’t it reflected in the country’s foreign reserves even in the absence of the IMF’s balance of payments bailout and the controversial default on foreign loans obligations?

  13. David Avatar
    David

    @Miller

    You are moving the goal posts.

    We have discussed exhaustively about leaking of forex in the sector, this is a different subject matter i.e. what the customer spent, how much reaches onshore.

  14. Vincent Codrington Avatar
    Vincent Codrington

    @ David BU at 6 :29 AM

    The Chairman of the BTMI made a statement. It is unnecessary for the Minister of Tourism to make another. What is there to say? Mr Griffith was appointed by the Board.

  15. Mariposa Avatar
    Mariposa

    Billy govt might have done you a big favour
    A favour that have released you of the multitude of stress factors that has been included in the govt measure of a huge tax formula prsented to the tourist and the sector for generating income to pay govt debt
    The problems which will arise when tourism drastically fall and affect the whole industry
    Billy the writing is on the wall showing the incoming doom and gloom to this sector
    You should praise God you would not be part of the debacle as govt tries it’s best to dig itself out of a for sure clamity govt created with ongoing austerity measures to the industry
    Rest assured they will be a blame game and your named will be placed high above the list as a person who did give their all

  16. Miller Avatar
    Miller

    @ David October 26, 2019 9:02 AM

    Are the amounts spent by visitors in the form of hard currency at places like the Oistins Bay Gardens and in the ‘small’ shops included in this “visitor spend” figure as quoted above?

    You can argue with relative certainty that these amounts never find a counting house for a home in the official monetary system but represents a major source of financing of the illicit drug trade and the shopping sprees to places like Miami or remittances made by the immigrant workers including sex workers to back home Guyana, Jamaica and Santo Domingo.

  17. David Avatar
    David

    @Miller

    The underground economy exist.

  18. Miller Avatar
    Miller

    @ David October 26, 2019 9:46 AM

    Of course the “Underground economy exists. It’s the foundation of the so-called white or official economy.

    It is similar in function to our own BU in a quest to go where the traditional media houses fear to go.

    It’s that same underground or black economy which employs the vast majority of the over 75,000 (and fast growing) army of what the BSS classifies as the “Voluntary Idle” or the balancing figure of the boys on the block for the (Un)employment figures of statistical gerrymandering.

    How about bringing some of those underground activities aboveground to make the GDP look a bit healthier, reporting wise?

    Why not do like Amsterdam and decriminalize trading activities like marijuana consumption and sex working?

    Our vacationing friend Tron should back this proposal to the hilt!

  19. Vincent Codrington Avatar
    Vincent Codrington

    @ David Bu

    @ Miller

    The Underground Economy has always existed in Barbados. It has saved the Overground Economy several times in our history. If you cannot measure it you cannot tax or attempt to mismanage it. Out of evil comes good.

  20. William Skinner Avatar
    William Skinner

    There is a reason why highly qualified Barbadians , living overseas, don’t accept jobs from the Duopoly.
    There is a reason why highly qualified Barbadians leave the country and carry their skills elsewhere.

  21. Vincent Codrington Avatar
    Vincent Codrington

    @ Mariposa

    Mr. Griffith’s contract comes to an end soon. He has indicated (according to the Press) that he is not interested in a renewal. Why is it necessary to make a political issue of a normal ,everyday event?

  22. David Avatar
    David

    @Vincent

    We have seen enough of these dry press releases to show skepticism.

  23. Mariposa Avatar
    Mariposa

    Vincent to answer your question the devil is always some where in the details
    Details not given to the people
    This govt has now built a reputation of being active agents of smoke and mirrors and feeding political propaganda to the masses
    Hence my intricate reason of suspicion
    Hope i answered your “why”

  24. David Avatar
    David

    DLP = silence BLP = smoke and mirrors according to ac

    Waiting for the third party.

    Waiting for transparency

  25. Vincent Codrington Avatar
    Vincent Codrington

    @ Mariposa

    @ David BU

    Point grasped. On reflection , I do share your views.

  26. Hal Austin Avatar
    Hal Austin

    Rats and sinking ships come to mind. Who controls the tourism/hotel sector in Barbados? Have a good look at the hotels, their owners, CEOs, the tourism organisations, their controllers, etc, and let me know.

  27. Bajan in NY Avatar
    Bajan in NY

    @Hal Austin October 26, 2019 12:43 PM

    Comrade bullshitter, can you give us an update on Brexit. Any idea which ditch your P.M. plans to die in come November 1 – lol?
    You should expend your energy offering advice to the members of the House of Commons.

  28. Lorenzo Avatar
    Lorenzo

    Bajan in Ny I agree with you this Austin always proclaiming Barbados a failed state and pulling down this government every opportunity he gets with his sidekicks mariposa and Skinner.Yet he is in the UK where they cannot resolve a Brexit deal as yet resulting in the demise of Theresa May and possibly Mr Johnson and rather than offering his adopted land the benefit of his top notch knowledge he spends his days knit picking on our issues created by his party the DLP.Does this make sense and which country is in more problems now?As for Mariposa you could really shut your hyprocritcal mouth when Mr Stuart and Mr Sinckler was killing us with taxes like the NSRL you cared anything about poor people? All you cared about like them was of their survival and look what happen to them not one damn seat.Therefore few want to hear anything from them or you so take a hike.

  29. Mariposa Avatar
    Mariposa

    Lorenzo so not one dam seat and 30-0 win by the blp resulting in empty promises and more belly hurt
    Do u have credible answers as to when govt would deliver promises made to the people
    A year later and a 30- 0 win equals Zero to the people
    Now govt parades an agreement highly specultaive constructing.of hidden clauses not revealed to the people
    Clauses that are iron clad with measures to repay external creditors or else
    Btw i like when the 30-0 is used as a play card define to attack it all but arouse my senses to use the 30-O in the most applicable manner towards govt gains leading to further downfall of barbados social and economic enviroment
    Just look around and tell me if you can find thirty improvements in the last year while the people receive 0 nothingness

  30. David Avatar
    David

    Just clicked on the online live DLP feed, 15 people locked on.

  31. MoneyBrain Avatar
    MoneyBrain

    Billy, is sure not any lightweight, as he has owned and worked sucessfully in the hotel / tourism industry for a very long time.My info is that he had sold his hotel in Bermuda and wanted to come home to Bim to contribute/ improve our tourist industry. Mission accomplished to some extent in a tough situation as we all know that a prophhet is never accepted in his own country. There will always be someone who becomes jealous. Billy was a year junior to myself at HC and is without a doubt a very hardworking and capable gent. Probably true that he did not really need to work at all, but wanted better results for Bim and figured he owed the country of his birth. Excellent work Billy, thank you.

  32. Wily Coyote Avatar
    Wily Coyote

    @DAVID

    Calling Wily “cluless”, A proverb comes to mind, “takes one to know one” or “monkey see monkey do”, take your pick.

    Its only when Barbarians are able to wake up to reallity, THINK FOR THEMSELVES and stop believing garbage political rhetoric will they have any hope of moving up from the social, financial and corrupt abyss. As Blogmaster of BARBADOS Underground the majority of your discussion articles are about Barbadian Failing and corrupt situations.

    Hummmmmm

  33. antonio pilgrim Avatar
    antonio pilgrim

    Vincent Codrington 11:26AM:

    I recall a previous CEO, David Rice, also doing the same

  34. antonio pilgrim Avatar
    antonio pilgrim

    Should be Vincent Codrington, Oct 26, 11:06 am

  35. SirSimpleSimonPresidentForLife Avatar
    SirSimpleSimonPresidentForLife

    Sometimes a person quits a good job, because “the boss” is an idiot.

    Sensible people don’t like working for idiots.

    Sensible people don’t have to work for idiots.

  36. SirSimpleSimonPresidentForLife Avatar
    SirSimpleSimonPresidentForLife

    We are going to miss Billy, but alas…

    we never miss the water until the well runs dry.

  37. SirSimpleSimonPresidentForLife Avatar
    SirSimpleSimonPresidentForLife

    Sometimes “the boss” forgets that “massa day dun de’d”

    And starts to treat the worker like a slave

    The worker quits…

    Then

  38. GP Avatar
    GP

    Sensible people WONT work for idiots, IF THEY DONT HAVE TO.

  39. Enuff Avatar
    Enuff

    David
    “By all accounts he did a good job.”

    Peter Scott didn’t? Even if he didn’t as you’re suggesting, it was okay to give him a letter on the highway? Thankfully, the Court disagreed.

  40. David Avatar
    David

    @enuff

    No it was not, tit for tat business is not good for the country.

  41. MoneyBrain Avatar
    MoneyBrain

    Sir Simpy ,why not shorten your moniker to XI????

  42. WURA-WAR-on-U Avatar
    WURA-WAR-on-U

    The fowls may be able to answer this one, so is it true that Alex MacDonald is slated to take over from Billy although he has NO EXPERIENCE whatever…just asking, some fowl should be able to confirm if it’s just a rumor.

  43. roverp Avatar
    roverp

    Billy is part of the old traditional brigade that stagnated our tourism development. It was all about numbers of visitors. What about visitor spend? What about if tourism was truly benefiting thing country? Was our marketing based on making sure that we bring visitors to our shores that benefited our country economically, socially, developmentally culturally etc? Where is the research to suggest that we had such information? Do we have as a friend of mine keep saying to me a high tourism leakage rate that is detrimental to our country? Have we been borrowing to support tourism that has not been truly profitable to our country? Will we continue to support airlines to bring visitors here because of a low demand for our product that we make look high by propping it up with subsidies etc? Do we understand tourism marketing as a destination? Any idiot can get people to spend money for travel with discounts as we have done as a destination. Can we get people here without all of these incentives by just have a great product that we develop based on customer demand and our ability to supply such at a profit to the country? Is it true that Mia is looking for a 4 billion dollar visitor spend?

  44. roverp Avatar
    roverp

    Why has tourism research been treated so badly in Barbados? Why have we only seen research as numbers? What part does research play in tourism marketing in Barbados?

  45. Mariposa Avatar
    Mariposa

    This talk of spend cannbe a double edge Sword
    Govt depends on actual figures from the business sector
    The possibilty that some in the business. sector are fudging the numbers in avoidence of paying the vat taxes on purchases is a reality
    This country corruption is wide spread reason why the country is hopping on. 1 leg

  46. roverp Avatar
    roverp

    The hiring of Billy by the last administration was part of the problem we have in tourism. We hire via F&F and not to fit a well thought out plan. Did we understand what the report that lead to the BTMI and BTPA said? Did that report say that the Ministry had no clue what it was doing and likewise the entities under it? Did that report suggest doing away with airline support? Why was Urban Cumberbatch not kept to be CEO? Did he reduce the BTA’s debt from the around 42 million that David Rice and the board that support him left to around 14 million in his short tenure? Why was a BTA in such debt? Did the BTA, BTMI and BTPA all have HR problems because of poor HR practices? Did that HR have issues of losing cases because of poor judgement?

  47. roverp Avatar
    roverp

    Why is it that the BTA, BTMI and BTPA were not producing CEO’s from within that have long tenure? What type of appraisal system did they have? Was the system all about favoritism, party alliance, news carrying etc

  48. David Avatar
    David

    @Roverp

    Some good points.

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