With the shutdown of the tourism industry in Anguilla, due to the covid-19 pandemic, the island’s Tourist Board has been finding ways of passing on information to visitors longing to return to the island.
This was disclosed by the Chairperson of the Tourist Board, Mrs. Donna Banks. She was at the time addressing Government officials, hoteliers and villa operators during the Stakeholder Economic Development Session for the accommodation sector on Monday, May 18.
“During the past two months, we have sought to maintain a virtual presence,” she reported. “We have had to stop a number of our marketing activities, of course, and have had to be very sensitive because there was no way of promoting tourism for Anguilla when people are more concerned about their lives. We have been very sensitive and subtle about the messaging that has been going out. At some point, we are going to be more direct.
“We are now looking at having our guests virtually experiencing Anguilla. A lot of what we are doing is in terms of sharing messages, recipes, entertainment and information. So our approach, over the past two months, has been informational, recreational and educational.”
Mrs. Banks explained that the Tourist Board was now creating a dedicated digital page where persons could experience Anguilla virtually. “This means that we are keeping Anguilla top of the market – and we are hoping that, at some point, we can really get an idea as to when we would want to reopen for the new season coming up,” she told her listeners. “This is whether we will say October 15 or whenever. Once we have a date we can move into another gear; but as we do not have a date we cannot move into that second gear.”
She went on: “We, at the Anguilla Tourist Board, have restructured and have an energetic and passionate team, but we are not sitting on our laurels. We are meeting with all the other stakeholders in the Caribbean, virtually, and sharing feedback, but there are some things that we just cannot do. So you are not going to see the Anguilla Tourist Board actively promoting Anguilla right now because it is not opportune to do so. We are giving subtle messages and having persons experience Anguilla virtually, as I said. When the situation gets a bit clearer we are going to romp it [the messaging] up. It is a difficult challenge now.”
Mrs. Banks observed that St. Maarten was Anguilla’s major gateway and that the Anguilla Tourist Board was an active part of the St. Maarten Airport Development Committee. She was now waiting to hear what the Committee’s thoughts were in terms of reopening the airport there. She was aware that Puerto Rico’s airport was now open, but there was a need to know what procedures could be put in place to fly passengers from there to Anguilla. She stressed, however, that it was necessary to consider the question: “Are we ready mentally in Anguilla to accept that we have to co-exist with covid-19?”
