Damage control! BVITB monitoring int’l response to viral police video
BVI Tourist Board (BVITB) Director Clive McCoy has joined the chorus of persons who have come out against a widely circulated video involving Police Commissioner Mark Collins that critics say has tarnished the territory’s pristine reputation.
“As you know here at the BVI Tourist Board, our major function is showcasing the destination as one of the most beautiful in the world and one of the safest places in the world to come and vacation,“ McCoy told ZBVI Radio recently.
Calling the video ‘grotesque’ in its nature, the Director said this hampers the work that the Tourist Board has done so far.
“We are monitoring it very closely with our agencies around the world to see what the response has been. We are putting together a strategy to counteract what is already out there in the space,” he added.
McCoy also said he was hopeful that the work done by the Tourist Board over the last few months and years does not simply just “go down the drain“ because of one incident.
“This video does not represent the British Virgin Islands in any shape or form. The British Virgin Islands is one of the safest places in the world to vacation. We pride ourselves on that. We pride ourselves on being a destination where you can go around and patronise the various restaurants and island-hop,“ McCoy added.
The Director’s statement follows closely on the heels of calls made by several local commentators for the resignation of the Police Commissioner in the wake of the video’s release.
Collins previously offered an apology for the video’s widespread distribution in the public domain, noting that it was an incomplete piece aimed at regional recruitment of officers and not intended for public consumption.
Critics have since, however, rejected the Police Chief’s apology and have signalled that his offence warrants his resignation or dismissal by Governor John Rankin who heads up the public service.
Calling the video ‘grotesque’ in its nature, the Director said this hampers the work that the Tourist Board has done so far.
“We are monitoring it very closely with our agencies around the world to see what the response has been. We are putting together a strategy to counteract what is already out there in the space,” he added.
McCoy also said he was hopeful that the work done by the Tourist Board over the last few months and years does not simply just “go down the drain“ because of one incident.
“This video does not represent the British Virgin Islands in any shape or form. The British Virgin Islands is one of the safest places in the world to vacation. We pride ourselves on that. We pride ourselves on being a destination where you can go around and patronise the various restaurants and island-hop,“ McCoy added.
The Director’s statement follows closely on the heels of calls made by several local commentators for the resignation of the Police Commissioner in the wake of the video’s release.
Collins previously offered an apology for the video’s widespread distribution in the public domain, noting that it was an incomplete piece aimed at regional recruitment of officers and not intended for public consumption.
Critics have since, however, rejected the Police Chief’s apology and have signalled that his offence warrants his resignation or dismissal by Governor John Rankin who heads up the public service.
