It is clear, from the tourism figures for April that have just been released, that the crisis into which the industry was plunged following last year’s passage of Hurricane Irma is very serious indeed – and is in some respects deepening.
This is the fourth consecutive month of massive decline in visitor numbers compared with 2017.
Every indicator on which we assess the state of the tourism industry is down – and most alarmingly, it does not appear that the slide has any prospect of being halted anytime soon.
After the passage of each natural disaster, dramatic declines are always expected. That is understandable. But while the continued decline in the industry months later is due to the fact that many of our players are not yet back in operation, the administration’s failure to grasp the urgency of securing the recovery is also a major contributor.
There is no time more demanding of leadership than in the aftermath of a disaster. Here, in Anguilla, this leadership has been found wanting – wanting for initiative, foresight and boldness.
Of the many islands affected by hurricanes last year, we were among the worst hit; but our recovery has not been as fast as those hit even worse than we were. This should lead us to our own self-examination.
It is interesting that our figures were just released, while at the same time the Tourism Director in St Maarten was speaking about how well the recovery was progressing there; and how many of their hotels have bounced back.
St Maarten is already back to about 60 percent of the capacity it had when the hurricane struck last year. We remember the devastation on St Maarten; devastation on a scale that we in Anguilla thankfully did not incur. The same could be said of such territories as the British Virgin Islands.
The speed of Anguilla’s recovery has been stalled for two main reasons – just the sheer challenge of the recovery and the lack of foresight and innovation in handling the crisis.
It is the second factor that we can control. Even though our recovery from the devastation is nine months late, we demand that our leadership rise to the occasion. It must first and foremost seek to inspire its people by mobilising communities and fostering a since of unity; and it must paint a clear vision about the recovery and unveil a road map towards resilience and sustainability. Even though we are not at full capacity, we must let the world know that we are back in business, and a sophisticated level of promotions at key market targets must be undertaken. The cost of not doing it, will me much more than the cost of doing it.
The longer we continue to see these anemic tourism figures; the deeper this recession will get and the more marginalised our people will become. If that trend continues the flight we have already seen from the island will get worse and we shall continue to lose some of our best citizens that we need so badly in this recovery.
What we have seen and heard can be described in one word: Alarming! But there is a saying that when the going gets tough, the tough gets going. We, the tough people of Anguilla, must mobilise ourselves and take the issue of our recovery in our hands. It is obvious there must be a shake-up in some aspects of tourism and the management of the sector. But the real problem goes right up the ladder – to the so-called leaders of government themselves.
Recovering for devastation does not require a business-as-usual approach; nor does it require leadership with ideas inspired only by parochialism and fueled by ego and ambition. We who are otherwise so blessed must aspire to something bigger than ourselves. The next generation depends on it. The urgency now evident in Anguilla, demands it.
