Good day fellow Anguillians.
On Wednesday 14 May I made a statement on the talk-show “Talk Anguilla” hosted by Mr. Keithstone Graves and aired on Radio Anguilla that caused the Anguilla Hotel and Tourism Association some concern. In speaking to some of the challenges facing the development of the tourism in Anguilla, I said, “There is a conflict between the Anguilla Hotel and Tourism Association and the Anguilla Tourist Board”. In a press release by the President of the Anguilla Hotel and Tourism Association Mr. Delroy Lake on May 19, 2014, it was stated that my statement was “inaccurate” and “unfounded”. Let me apologize to the Anguilla Hotel and Tourism Association and the Anguilla Tourist Board for causing them concern. However, I need to make it very clear that I never for one moment was trying to imply that the staff and board members in the shared office did not get along well because that is not the case. The staff members of both groups work tirelessly in the best interest of our tourism industry.
As we all have come to know however, there are some ongoing issues between the Anguilla Tourist Board and the Ministry of Tourism that spilled over into the public domain and in the media recently. This of course is not good for Anguilla’s image and as such it is also damaging Anguilla’s already very weak economy. The issues in the media should of utmost concern to everyone.
The fact is there are too many of our Anguilla hospitality workers who are unemployed, under employed and working less than 40 hours a week for the past five tourist seasons for us to be having ongoing feuds in the hospitality sector. Additionally, contrary to what some Government political officials might want to have us believe, most if not all hotel and resort properties on Anguilla are operating at an unprofitable level because of low occupancy and the extremely high cost of electricity. So when I made reference to there being a conflict between the Anguilla Hotel and Tourism Association and the Anguilla Tourist Board/Ministry of Tourism, I was speaking of the conflict having to do with the misalignment of priorities. This conflict threatens the optimum performance of the tourist industry in Anguilla, distorts the messaging that goes out to the international market and blinds us to where focus should be placed.
If we are going to achieve real lasting success in tourism that translates into well paying jobs year round with good benefits for all Anguillians and residents of Anguilla, we need to speak with one voice. There must be single-ness of purpose and single-ness of focus. Tourism is key and central to Anguilla’s development. To this end all citizens and residents need to be fully on board with a strong customer service focus to make it all happen for us.
As we look to build a stronger tourist industry, areas that must be given top priority are:
1. Consistent reliable air access. We are in desperate need of a jet airport offering direct access from major markets.
2. Significantly lower electricity costs. We need to quickly move away from our exclusive dependence on fossil fuel and move to using solar energy, wind energy and waste to energy (provided that it is proven safe).
3. We need one or two marinas with a board walk and shopping boutiques as a means of diversifying the tourism offering.
4. We need to enable and encourage the development of the arts with a focus on entertainment tourism (i.e. Carnival, Moonsplash, Festival Del mar and Jazz).
5. We need a comprehensive sustainable plan to keep Anguilla looking clean, fresh, and appealing without litter.
6. We need to develop a customer focus community that understands the importance of tourism to our survival and to continuous improvement in our standard of living and quality of life.
7. We need a deep water harbor with berths to accommodate small to medium size cruise-ships.
8. We need to support and develop a well managed agriculture and fishing sector to complement the tourism industry in a significant and meaningful way.
So my fellow Anguillians and residents, together we will achieve greatness but we have to work together and speak with one voice. To this end it is imperative that The Anguilla Hotel and tourism Association, The Anguilla Tourist Board and the Ministry of Tourism are all fully aligned and poised to deliver excellence in the tourism industry for Anguilla, its citizens and residents. Let us always keep the big picture before us.
May God bless us all as we strive to improve the quality of life for everyone living in Anguilla. May God also bless Anguilla.
Sutcliffe Hodge leader of the DOVE Party.
