The Anguilla Tourist Board, known for its creativity and ingenuity, has just launched what it calls “Virtual Island Tours with Experience Anguilla at Home”. The tagline is a “Platform offering an opportunity to visit an award-winning island from home”.
A press conference, to introduce the new marketing effort, since tourists to Anguilla are kept away from the island due to the Covid-19 pandemic, was held at the Tourist Board’s Office on Wednesday, July 15. The event was conducted by Mrs. Shellya Rogers-Webster, Manager of Corporate Affairs, and Mr. Jameel Rochester, Assistant Manager, Destination Experience. A press release, about the new initiative, is published elsewhere in this edition of The Anguillian newspaper.
Mrs. Rogers-Webster told the media representatives: “Anguilla is still celebrating having been voted the number one destination in the Caribbean for an unprecedented fourth time in a row – and that is absolutely amazing.”
She said that the Tourist Board was excited to launch something that was very new. “We know that all of our guests who are overseas, in our source markets, are really missing Anguilla,” she went on. “We see all of your posts daily on social media… and we really love and appreciate that you still want to stay connected to Anguilla. We think it is very important for the Anguilla Tourist Board to ensure that connectivity happens. So we have done something very special.
“We are launching ‘Experience Anguilla at Home’ and this is a virtual platform which is very closely linked to our website. It allows you to sit and virtually experience Anguilla from the comforts of home. We know you miss our food; our beaches; our people; the wonderful drinks and bars. And it is very important for us to make sure that connection lasts because we know that you are anxious to come to Anguilla. You can sit in the comfort of your home and go through videos, reminisce, learn about our recipes, and just really enjoy Anguilla from overseas. The Anguilla Tourist Board is absolutely dedicated to ensuring that our guests remain connected throughout this pandemic.”
Mr. Rochester, known for his excitement over Anguilla as a competitive tourist destination, gave a comprehensive account of the marketing initiative.
He said in part: “I am very excited to launch our new extension of our ‘I Visit Anguilla.Com Webpage.’ This page is called ‘Experience. I Visit Anguilla.Com’ and you can follow us on this wonderful ‘Experience Anguilla at Home page.’”
Mr. Rochester continued: “While in the Covid- 19 period, the Anguilla Tourist Board has been working very hard to ensure that we are at the top of the minds of our travellers. We have been promoting content that is inspirational, informational and educational to all our existing visitors – and those who are aspiring to come to Anguilla as a destination.”
Following his introductory remarks, he gave a detailed account of the Tourist Board’s ‘Experience Anguilla at Home’ promotion.
During question time, The Anguillian newspaper commented that it appeared that the Tourist Board was working towards a 5th “Best Island Award for Anguilla”.
Mrs. Rogers-Webster replied: “Absolutely. Why stop at four? We are definitely aiming to go for number 5. I think Anguilla has proven itself to be really a top tier destination. Our people are exceptional in our industry. We are really going the extra mile, and I think that the Anguilla Tourist Board realises that it has a responsibility to ensure that there is a level of service and marketing that is in line with the destination. So we, too, have to remain competitive and dynamic in offering our guests something even though they are so far away.”
