Porkies to tourists? It's just not on.

From Tourism Whitsundays Facebook site

A lot of you will know by now that our Facebook site at Whitsundays has been deleted in the past couple of days. Apparently, we have no avenue to appeal the decision.

A couple of concerned friends (who also followed me on Twitter as @Schnicka and @SandieB321) asked Tourism Whitsundays via their Facebook site on what may have happened to our Facebook site (see above - click images to expand).

Tourism Whitsundays have replied:
"Hi Sandra, not sure what page you mean or who 'he' is? You can contact us at 74islands@tourismwhitsundays.com.au with more details if you like."

Tourism Whitsundays know me very well. As a matter of fact, the Chaiman of Tourism Whitsundays confirmed on Thursday December 30, 2010 to an acquaintance that he knows of  me and my websites. This was just 24 hours before Tourism Whitsundays denied publicly on Facebook saying they had any knowledge of me.


In fact, the earliest recorded example I can find of Tourism Whitsundays visiting my Facebook site was when they visited my website WhitsundaysOnline.Net, and they clicked the Facebook link on that page. That event is shown here:

22nd July 2010    16:41:15    Page View     http://www.whitsundaysonline.net/
22nd July 2010    16:43:46    Exit Link    http://www.facebook.com/whitsundays

Other times I can confirm that Tourism Whitsundays have visited my Facebook page are:

TW in my Facebook site clicking a link to a news story on my blog.

TW leaving one of my pages to go to my Facebook site.

The deletion of my Facebook site, at this crucial time with floods all around us, and when I was the only person reporting news and events from the Whitsundays, seems to me to be 'sinister'.  This event was done to 'silence me' and is not dissimilar to someone blowing up a TV or Radio station transmitter - you can imagine the penalties for doing something like that.

Nicole (@Schnicka) and Sandy (@SandieB321), sorry from me that you are being mislead by the official tourism organization. They represent less than 10% of businesses here, yet their behaviour (just like this) is affecting 100% of the region. Trust me, well over 90% of the folk here are really, really nice.

I am not accusing Tourism Whitsundays of getting my Facebook site deleted. I suspect it may have been done by a rogue employee or director, or ex employee or ex director.