Chairperson to resign mid term

A reply by new Director Kelli Medford has been received by us and will be posted here shortly - the delays in posting this correspondence have been due to the need to verify some of the comments.

Whitsundays Online

Lyn Gregson, Chairperson of Tourism Whitsundays, has unexpectedly resigned from the Regional Tourism organization.

While several other directors of Tourism Whitsundays are also resigning at this years AGM, these directors terms have expired, plus they gave plenty of notice of their decision not to re apply. (Jim Sherrington, Manager of the Whitsundays Times, resigned as a Director of Tourism Whitsundays a few months ago).

Up until as late as Tuesday, Ms Gregson led the good folk of the Whitsundays to believe that she was going to complete her full term as a director and Chairperson.

However, yesterday, Ms Gregson announced that she had changed her mind and had now decided to resign from the Board of Directors all together.

The difference between Ms Gregson's resignation and the other directors is that Ms Gregson is not fulfilling her 2 year obligation to Tourism Whitsundays, and is resigning mid term - 1 year prematurely.

According to the story in this week's Whitsunday Times, Ms Gregson says she is leaving Tourism Whitsundays to concentrate more on her business, Adelyn Retail Consultancy**.

However, the story fails to tell us that Ms Gregson was in charge of Tourism Whitsundays during the time it performed at its worse.

Lyn Gregson, as Chairperson, presided over:
The largest fall in tourism numbers to the Whitsundays region, ever*;
Was in charge of the organization when over $350,000 was stolen from it internally.

*Domestic visitor numbers to the Whitsunday grew 8.2% per annum between the years March 2002 and March 2006 (source: Whitsunday Times 6 Oct 2006). Between July 2007 and July 2009, total visitor numbers to the Whitsundays plunged 33%.

Despite millions and millions of dollars spent on 'Expos', Overseas Trips, Dinners, Events, Advertising, Publicity and Stunts, during the Chairpersons tenure, we have seen tourism numbers to the Whitsundays plummet to levels not seen since the beginning of the century.

** Adelyn Retail are these shops:
Ridgy Didge Australiana - Airlie Beach
Beachworx - Airlie Beach
Jewl - Airlie Beach
Moochas Boutique - Cannonvale
Swim Swim Swim - Airlie Beach

Sourced partially from Whitsunday Times