Dear Editor:
From the eyes of a tourist
I’ve been coming to Anguilla since 1999, and I am finally moved to write. I witnessed the boom and all that has come after. Now, with an election looming, I hear people talk of how to get Anguilla moving again – what needs to be built to get tourists to our beautiful shores.
Wake up Anguilla.Through total lack of pride and caring, you’re killing the only ‘product’ you have to offer – your natural beauty. Tourists are fickle. They won’t keep coming if you continue to abuse your natural beauty.
I see trash, not just on the beaches, but everywhere. I see people eat and leave their styrofoam and beer bottles right beside where they sit, then drive by the trash bin on the way out. No sense of pride of country.
I see dirty diapers left under a bush, right beside where people sit on the beach.
I see sand mining, systematic scraping away of the beaches. Look at Junk’s Hole today. Large parts of the dune are gone.
I see construction waste dumped in the bush within a short distance of the landfill.
I watched an Anglec crew do maintenance on a pole. When they were done they left the old wires and trash on the ground scattered around where they worked. No sense of pride from this a national company.
I hear unbelievable talk of a new ferry terminal, a new port at Corito, a new airport extension. You can’t even fix the road through The Valley – the capital of this country. Where’s the pride?
Wake up Anguilla.
Sad tourist
Toronto, Canada
