DONORS MEET TO CONSIDER TOURISM FUNDING

Donor Agents, Tourism and other Anguillian Officials

The meeting, at Viceroy Anguilla, which is closed at present, was held with Government Ministers and other officials, including hotel and tourism industry partners. The representatives of the funding agencies were Travis Mitchell of the European Union; Michelle GylesMcDonnough of the United Nations Development Programme, Dr. Lorraine Nichols of the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States, Bonita Morgan of the Caribbean Tourism Organisation and Joy MappJobity of the Caribbean Development Bank.

Dr. Aidan Harrigan (2nd from left) and Mr. Haydn Hughes (far right) with consultants

The opening session of the meeting was addressed by ParliamentarySecretary for Tourism, Hadyn Hughes, who welcomed the visiting officials to Anguilla. He said they had come together with a view to strengthening the collaboration between the Anguilla Government and the Caribbean Development Bank to move the island’s tourism forward. He stated that the Government had embarked on a vigorous programme to stimulate and maximize the economic contribution of tourism in a practical way to improve market penetration and the quality of life of the people of Anguilla.

Chief Minister Hughes, Ministers and others

He observed that as a result of Anguilla’s constitutional position the island was not able to access funds from donors contributing to the Caribbean region. He expressed the hope that the British Government, who was approached on the matter through representation made to the Governor, “would do all in its power” to ensure that Anguilla received the assistance it needed.
Dr. Aidan Harrigan, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Economic Development and Tourism, gave an overview of the economic and financial situation in Anguilla and the decline it had suffered as a result of the global recession.
He noted that the main two contributors to the economy, tourism and construction, had badly declined. This resulted in loss revenue from such major sources as Customs Duties, Accommodation Tax, Embarkation Tax and Stamp Duty. Dr. Harrigan said the present Anguilla Government had embarked on a Medium Term Strategy aimed at stimulating sustainable and even diversified economic growth. The Sustainable Tourism Master Plan was part of that effort.

Industry partners and others

He spoke about the dire financial and economic situation in Anguilla, saying that many people on the island were hurting as a result.
His address was followed by the presentation of the tourism recommendations by Dr. Phillip Heneghan, leader of the Halcrow/CHL team and contributions by Government officials and industry partners.
In addition to the visiting donor representatives, presentations were made by Kenn Banks of the Anguilla Air & Sea Ports Authority; Althea Hodge of the Anguilla Development Board and Professor Delroy Louden of the Anguilla Community College.
A luncheon was hosted at Viceroy Anguilla hosted by Chief Minister and Minister of Tourism, Hubert Hughes, followed by a tour of the island by the visiting delegates.