The Anguilla Tourist Board is meeting on the island with its Marketing Representatives from the United States, United Kingdom, Germany, Italy, Canada, Puerto Rico and Latin America, with the aim of transforming Anguilla into a more appealing and assertive destination.
The marketing meetings, from July 26 to August 1, are dubbed “Transformational Change Part 2” and follow visits to St. Barths and the Turks and Caicos Islands to see what the two stiff competitors are doing – that Anguilla is not doing- to make the island a better destination.
The change of focus is being undertaken by the Anguilla Government through Ms. Donna Banks, Chairperson of the Anguilla Tourist Board, and in conjunction with the island’s various regional and international Marketing Representatives. “I think that there are a lot of things we are doing right, but there are also a lot of things that we are not doing so right,” she told the gathering at the opening ceremony on Tuesday evening at the Anguilla Tourist Board’s conference room. “Having been to two of our competitors, I think I have come to the conclusion that our tourism experience is incomplete. We have lovely properties but then there are a number of elements that are missing to make our experience complete.”
Ms. Banks continued: “No matter what property you stay at in Anguilla, our accommodations are only one aspect. We have been focusing on our quality accommodations and not paying enough attention to all the other elements that make up the experience. We have to change that. We have to begin to focus on training – the teaching process – so that behaviours can change…We have been to those two destinations and we have to be honest. There is a different standard in the quality of the service delivered to persons. Then we have to look at things like the environment. When we went to St. Barths, today, we did not see trash all over the place, neither the pollution signs we have in Anguilla. So if we are going to be a serious luxurious or quality destination, it means we can’t just focus on our accommodations. We have to focus on all the elements that make up the Anguilla experience.
“Then there is access which has continued to be a challenge for us, but I believe that we have been working diligently to resolve that. We have been working with Seaborne to improve our access out of San Juan because if we are going to realise growth in the tourist arrival figures, it means that we cannot focus all of our attention on access through St. Maarten…We are saying that, in addition to that, if we are to accomplish the targets that we need to accomplish, to make our tourism a sustainable industry, we have to look at access out of Puerto Rico, Antigua, and also direct access out of North America into Anguilla.
“I am happy to say that we have been in discussions with Seaborne and we have made sure that our discussions this year included both the Ministry of Tourism and the Anguilla Hotel and Tourism Association. By the end of this week we ought to be able to announce an agreement with Seaborne to enhance its service. We have also had discussions on getting access directly out of the US, probably New York, and that will require all of the partners coming on board. When we look at other destinations, it is not just the Tourist Board or the Ministry of Tourism that is responsible for access coming into the destination – it is a partnership and it will be necessary for the private sector and the public sector, as well as the Anguilla Air and Sea Ports Authority, to develop access service from beyond the region. So we are looking forward to making great strides in terms of improving access.”
Ms. Banks went on: “A key matter that has really been a challenge to us moving forward is the inadequate staffing at the Anguilla Tourist Board, and we are going to make some tough decisions. We know that our inability to perform the way we needed to perform, over the last year, has been a result of the shortage of staff and we will begin to recruit staff to perform duties that will make the Anguilla Tourist Board, in this century, a relevant organisation.
“The structure of the Anguilla Tourist Board has continued to be what it has been from the inception and tourism has changed from that, probably in the 1990s, to now 2016. Tourism has changed and we must change with that, so it means that we will have to restructure the Anguilla Tourist Board and recruit the type of staff we need to be able to be a more relevant organisation…It means that we have to bring on board persons who can focus on the entire experience, and we are going to bring on board persons who can focus on our social media activity because that is the way of the world. So we are going to be having a number of changes at the Anguilla Tourist Board. This Board has seen one year and in our second year we expect to see very tangible results. We have to be equipped with the staff and also the necessary finances to get the job done. We expect with this staff, and the Board, that we will be able to lead the change. So you, in the market, will not be leading us. We will be leading you. We will be issuing the directives because we will have the competence within the Anguilla Tourist Board to take charge and to lead; and some of the challenges you have been having, we expect to see them no more when we have completed the metamorphosis.”
Chief Minister and Minister of Tourism and Economic Development, Mr. Victor Banks, told the Marketing Representatives about a number of current and planned tourism projects in Anguilla and of the Government’s support for the industry. He was joined in that respect by Mr. Cardigan Connor, Parliamentary Secretary, Tourism, who carries out the duties of that portfolio.
