KAREN WHITT
VP OF SALES & MARKETING AT
THE PALMS AND THE SHORE
CLUB, TURKS AND CAICOS
WHAT IS THE STATUS AT YOUR
RESORT?
The Hartling Group manages three
resorts in Turks and Caicos Islands, The
Sands at Grace Bay, The Palms Turks
and Caicos and The Shore Club Long
Bay Beach.
Currently, all resorts are closed; PLS
international airport was closed on
March 24th, and expected to reopen
on April 14th, and the government has
also mandated a 24-hour curfew for the
country which began on Friday, March
27th and is currently slated to end in
conjunction with the reopening of the
airport on April 14th.
WHAT HAVE BEEN SOME OF
THE CHALLENGES YOU ARE
FACING AND HOW ARE YOU
ADDRESSING THEM?
Given that hospitality and tourism
account for approximately 85% of our
GDP, our primary source of revenue
has been stifled, and one of the greatest
challenges we face now is retaining our
staff. Many of us are working from
home and we are trying to keep our
teams together as best as possible,
but as the dynamic around the world
changes so rapidly it’s difficult to know
how to plan for the future. We remain
optimistic, and in the meantime, those
who can continue to work on initiatives
remotely are doing so with the full
support of leadership.
We are also working in conjunction with
other partners on the island to provide
food and basic essentials
to some of those staff with
great needs. One such
project is the “Staples
Mission,” where we will
provide care packages that
would include 20 to 30
essential items that would
help to at least keep food
on the table. We’re trying
to be proactive with these
initiatives, which can help
with the most basic needs
and hopefully provide a
small level of comfort to
those in greatest need.
Another challenge, which I
also view as an opportunity,
is that of “communication.”
In the hospitality industry,
we are surrounded by each other on
a daily basis and it has been unique
working in isolation. As a team we have
utilized a number of different platforms
to stay connected including Zoom,
Google Meets and Instagram, and we
are connecting with each other almost
daily as we work together to formulate
our strategies for reopening.
DO YOU ANTICIPATE A STRONG
REBOUND?
While once considered a luxury, travel
today is a way of life. It is so valuable in
uniting the world and connecting with
yourself and your friends and family. Of
course, no one really knows the course
of this crisis, but we feel that once we
have a green light from the medical
professionals and the government
entities that it’s ok to travel again, that
people will focus on easy-to-get-to
destinations and opportunities to relax.
The Caribbean would seem to be a
very good choice and appealing as it is
well-suited for all types of travelers and
accessible from so many destinations.
We do anticipate a strong rebound,
the question is how long this rebound
might take. Persons will undoubtedly be
seeking peace of mind, and safety, and
seamless opportunities to ease back into
their normal recreational and cultural
activities.
WHAT IS YOUR STRATEGY OVER
THE NEXT FEW MONTHS?
For the immediate term, our
first goal is to remain connected
internally and externally. This includes
communicating with our management
teams, travel partners, stakeholders
and guests. We have utilized
technology as a platform for some
creative online sessions like cyber
happy hours with travel partners, and a
lot of personal care calls and outreach.
Our teams are busy working on short
and medium-term plans which include
staying healthy, staying together and
remaining positive and optimistic. This
will help keep us in a better place to
react appropriately when the time is
right. As a favored destination we will
do our best to remain relevant and as
a company, when we feel we can begin
to establish some sense of rebound we
will be ready to do what we do best,
providing amazing and memorable
experiences!
ILHA 15