A Street Festival, just off The Valley Public Road, on the grounds of the Agricultural Department, climaxed Anguilla’s Tourism Week 2018, on Saturday, December 8.
Mr. Jameel Rochester, Assistant Manager, Destination Experience, at the Tourist Board, put the hospitality event into perspective in an interview with The Anguillian newspaper.
“This year’s Tourism Week was under the theme “Beyond The Extraordinary: Transforming Anguilla’s Experience,” he explained. “Throughout the week we had a series of activities beginning with a Church Service on Sunday, December 9, at the Church of God of Prophecy, West End.
“During the rest of the week there was an Open House at the Tourist Board on Monday, December 10, with a series of videos playing on our social media system, outlining the different and most unique experiences of our destination. Among other things, we featured various locally-made craft and we invited our local partners, including hotel and restaurant owners, to see the products on display. From Tuesday until Thursday we had talks in the schools by representatives of the Tourist Board – and other persons from the tourism industry sector. They made presentations on tourism, the importance of tourism to our people – and in relation to our theme.
“The Parliamentary Secretary, Tourism, Mr. Cardigan Connor, Kala, our intern and I, paid courtesy visits to some of our hotels and restaurants. It was to find out how the season is going so far, and anything the Tourist Board should be doing to provide more support to our industry partners.”
Speaking about the Street Festival, Mr. Rochester said it was “to provide a better understanding of the totality of the Anguilla Experience within a small setting. At the event, we had our Taste of Anguilla dishes by our culinary team, and the Taste of the Caribbean with booths representing St. Kitts, Antigua and other islands – as well as displays of Indian cuisine. So there was a very eclectic atmosphere.
“We also had representatives from Lit Fest, wellness displays including one from CuisinArt Resort, and persons providing massages. There was local entertainment provided by various groups and individuals including Mystic Vibes; the Albena Lake-Hodge Comprehensive School Orchestra; Took & the Boys; the Mayoumba Folkloric Theatre; and DJ Legend. There was also a treasure hunt, bouncing castles and domino competitions. Our intention was to give our visitors and residents an authentic Anguillian experience.”
The passionate Mr. Rochester added: “We say thank you to all persons who supported Tourism Week. We want to continue to provide exceptional experience in service to guests visiting our destination; to promote Anguilla as the number one Caribbean destination for two consecutive years – and we can boast on these pillars and our achievements.
“We want to say that despite Hurricane Irma Anguilla, as a destination, continues to rise above every other destination, and we continue to be world-renowned and widely recognized. It shows that we are on the right track when it comes to developing our product and being a Beyond Extraordinary Destination. We are the Anguilla Tourist Board and we are beyond the extraordinary.”
