With Anguilla now having cautiously reopened its hospitality industry, despite the global Covid-19 pandemic, the island began observing Tourism Week 2020 on Sunday, November 29.
The opening activity was a Service of Thanksgiving at the Church of God (Holiness) at the Queen Elizabeth’s Avenue, where the Minister is Pastor Philip Gumbs. The service was attended by the Ministry of Tourism, represented by the Parliamentary Secretary, Mrs. Quincia Gumbs-Marie, the Chairman of the Anguilla Tourist Board, Mr. Kenroy Herbert, members of the Board and staff and the Anguilla Hotel and Tourism Association, represented by its Executive Director, Mrs. Gilda Gumbs.
“Building a Dynamic Tourism Economy through a Global Pandemic” has been the assertive theme of Tourism Week, along with “Beyond Expectations”, the marketing theme of the Tourist Board.
“Building a Dynamic Tourism Industry is very visionary because this is a go-slow time, but we are saying come to my country,” Pastor Gumbs began his sermon. “I love Anguilla. I travel and it is always good to come back home – and people come here from so many parts of the world and we say to them: ‘Come to my country. There is value for your money’, but if it is going to be a vibrant tourism economy in this current pandemic, we have to become self-producing. Covid assured us that we cannot depend on the outer world for everything. We have to grow our own food; but those individuals who are really concerned about their complexion don’t want to be in the sun because they will they will lose it. We have learned that complexion means nothing.
“Government has been speaking extensively about the need to focus on farming and going beyond lip service. This Government has made a commitment to making farming and fishing a reality – so that instead of importing so much, our people can produce a lot of stuff.”
The Pastor referred to Anguilla’s 200-nautical fishing zone which he said needed to be exploited by local fishermen, and not the Japanese, so that fishing and farming can help to diversify the island’s tourism industry. He indicated that this would be of much assistance to the economy when the tourism industry is negatively impacted by various factors such as the Covid-19 pandemic.
“If we can put in our plates – in our hotels – foods produced in part locally, it will help us to be more resilient in times of difficulty, so that our tourism and economy can maintain an even keel,” he stated. “We do not have gold, oil or forests… but our greatest resource is our people… and when you ask tourists why they come back to Anguilla, they say it is because of the people.”
While Pastor Philip spoke about Anguilla, as a country to promote and invite tourists to, he pointed his listeners to the Kingdom of God – as a paradise to which they must aspire.
Tourism Week in Anguilla continued with daily pre-recorded addresses by tourism executives in Anguilla and overseas representatives; tourism talks in schools; an open house display of Anguilla’s products and experiences – along with a series of videos highlighting the Anguilla experience.
