PHILIPSBURG--Now former Interim Director of the St. Maarten Tourism Bureau (STB) May Ling Chun said on Wednesday that she is disappointed that the relationship with government had to end the way it did and that the Ministry of Tourism's attempts to force her to accept a contract were unethical.
Chun explained that she had met with Minister of Tourism Romeo Pantophlet on June 19 and he had informed her, verbally and by letter, that the current contract would not be renewed as is.
The agreement in discussion was signed on November 29, 2011, and entails that services will be provided until the tourism authority is in place. A new proposal for three months was presented to her, with reduced fees, to be renewed until a permanent head of the Tourism Department is found.
Chun said she had expressed disappointment in such an offer, as it would not provide the certainty of her continuing or the continuity of the objectives and goals that had been established previously: to expand and increase the quality of the St. Maarten Tourism product.
Therefore, Chun came back with a counteroffer on June 25, based on her knowledge of the position, including certain challenges that had confronted her on taking on the role, some of which still exist; the work in the pipeline and what has been executed thus far; and the extra workload required of carrying two positions – Marketing Director and Interim Director of Tourism – as the marketing director has been out on sick leave for the last four months, she said.
Chun said she then had been surprised at 4:00pm on Thursday, June 28, with a letter from Minister Pantophlet notifying her that her present contract would expire on June 30 and would not be renewed. For her to continue in the capacity of Interim Director of Tourism, she was told, it was strongly recommend that she accept the three month contract as offered and no other terms or conditions would be considered at that time.
The letter stated that failure to sign the new offer by the end of that day would be interpreted as an expression of her lack of interest in the position; thus the relationship would be considered officially terminated.
Chun's response, dispatched by e-mail, stated that the timeline laid out was unrealistic, more time was required to review the contract and consult with her attorney, an extension of one week was requested, which is this current week. Several e-mails were sent by the Ministry subsequently, repeatedly asking whether a decision could be made, ignoring the fact that some time had been requested.
An e-mail was sent to Chun on Monday, July 2, stating that the Ministry still had not heard back from her and until it did she should not come into the office. Again Chun replied with acknowledgement of the e-mail, stating that she was willing to work, but again reiterated that sufficient time was required and she would have a response within the week.
Nevertheless, Chun was notified at end of that very day that she was required to hand in her keys to the office on Monday, July 2.
"This is not how we treat people, especially when the feedback I receive is only positive, including from the Ministry itself," Chun said. "Forcing me to accept a contract of three months, lower salary, with no other terms or conditions, is outright unethical as an employer. I had a business before this position came along, and I made the decision to shut down my business to be able to take on this position because of the passion I have for tourism and knowing that I can make a difference.
"I am quite disappointed that the relationship has to end, especially in this way. We were making progress despite many challenges and having St. Maarten being off the marketing map for some 18 months prior to my appointment, this was in large part because of the passion I have for the hospitality industry, especially the St. Maarten tourism product.
"We have been confronting numerous challenges together with our stakeholders in a strategic manner and have slowly been making steady progress. We all have our differences, but in the end it should always be about moving forward with the promotion of our tourism product and ensuring the sustainability of our economy."
Chun was appointed Interim Head of the Tourism Bureau due to her extensive experience in tourism. She spent many years as the St. Maarten representative in New York, she was a member of the St. Maarten Hospitality and Trade Association (SHTA) executive board and she has hotel operations and event planning experience, as well as lengthy qualifications in marketing and market research.
Chun stepped into the role at a time when the office itself was surrounded by turmoil and controversy, the regional tourism representatives had not been paid for their efforts and had halted services for a period of some 18 months.
Against this backdrop, Chun was credited with being able to get the train moving again, straighten out the non-payment issues and re-establish the public/private relationships that are vital for the promotion of tourism.
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