Pamela Ewing resigned this week as director of tourism of the Turks and Caicos Islands Tourist Board (TCTB). Ewing, who served in the position for the past two years, was a 15-year TCTB veteran and served as the agency’s first female director.
Mary Lightbourne, 16-year TCTB veteran, will succeed Ewing as acting director of tourism, officials said in a statement. Lightbourne “brings over two decades of dynamic experience working throughout the destination,” including 16 years at the Tourist Board.
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Lightbourne was previously employed as registrar of the Turks and Caicos Islands Community College and also worked with the Turks and Caicos Islands government as head of secretariat to the minister of education, according to local news sources.
Ewing directed the Islands’ reopening to visitors and “rebranding strategy as a sought-after and safe destination during the COVID-19 pandemic,” said TCTB officials. Ewing’s administration “contributed to the uptick in arrivals and recording 2021 as the busiest summer of travel to-date.”
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Ewing “rose to the challenge of marketing the destination in a safe and effective manner,” promoting the TCI Assured Portal, created to “safely allow visitors into the destination.” The Turks and Caicos received the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC)’s Safe Travels Stamp denoting the Islands’ alignment with WTTC’s core requirements designed to standardize safe travel during the pandemic.
“Ms. Ewing’s strategic marketing and impactful initiatives have forever changed the positioning our beloved islands as one of the most coveted and accessible destinations for travelers across the globe,” said Josephine Connolly, the Turks and Caicos’ minister of tourism. “We are extremely grateful for her years of dedication to the Tourist Board and wish Ms. Ewing nothing but success in her future ventures.”
Ewing joined TCTB in 2007 as regional marketing manager. During her tenure, Ewing was “instrumental in establishing the Turks and Caicos Islands a top luxury destination for worldwide travelers,” driving a 67 percent visitor increase from major U.S. markets over seven years, according to TCTB.
