This is not good. After just a few months, the president of the Hotel and Tourism Association quit, abruptly.
Rik Blyth, formerly managing director at Caneel Bay Resort on St. John, indicated the job wasn’t his cup of tea. Blyth told the Virgin Islands Daily News he was accustomed to large organizations with hundreds of employees. "It just wasn’t the right decision for me … I just felt very miscast (in a small nonprofit association)."
It’s quite possible that Blyth simply wanted to move too fast for a trade group whose members are all in competition with each other. With his background and experience at the upscale Rosewood Hotels organization, He may well have felt more urgency than his members to increase off-island promotion, improve employee courtesy and customer service, and expand the islands’ activities on the Web.
Blyth’s departure is a loss. He’s a pro.
An example of inertia Blyth may have faced may be evident on the Web. More than a week after his departure, the group”s Web site shows him still in charge.
He indicated he intends to stay in the territory. Anyone wanna bet he might get involved with either Grande Bay or Sirenusa, the two, huge new resort projects on St. John (if they ever are completed).
I don’t know the guy from Adam and I’m sure he might have been a great GM at Caneel. Like I said I don’t know him at all.
I would guess that when you’re a GM most everyone works for you and basically you make the rules. It’s a lot different in a non profit when you’re in charge but more than likely just one of the crowd like everyone else.
Again, don’t know the guy, but do have a lot of involvement with non profits.
This is a big loss for the VI in general and for St John in particular. As you say, Rik is a real pro who clearly knows what needs to be done to increase tourism and the satisfaction of those tourists. I hope that he will remain in the territory and find a position befiting his experience and expertise.