at Belmond Cap Juluca
On Friday February 9th, the Department of Education (DoE) collaborated with the Anguilla Community College(ACC) to host a group of students of Tourism Studies in the CAPE Program of the St Maarten Academy, as they engaged in an educational field trip to Anguilla as a part of their studies.
The group, comprising 13 students and 1 teacher, was on island from February 9 to February 13, during which time they were accommodated at Bonne View Villa in South Hill. The students’ time on island was engaged in a comprehensive itinerary, which was organized by Tourism Education Coordinator, Candis A. Niles and Sixth Form Coordinator, Charmaine Rey- Richardson. The itinerary included an island tour hosted by the Anguilla Tourist Board (ATB) and executed by Quest Tours; a series of site inspections which included visits to Aurora Anguilla, Belmond Cap Juluca and Charming Escapes property, Anguilla Great House Beach Resort.
The students were very impressed with the Hydroponics and Gardens they experienced at Aurora Anguilla, as well as the Green House and Gardens of Belmond Cap Juluca, as their studies focus quite significantly on issues of sustainability in business, in Tourism and in the Environment.
The students also were very impressed with the standards of excellence they experienced as regards the Tourism plant of the island and the high standard of Service Excellence they experienced from their interactions with Transportation Services, Nell Connor’s Taxi & Tours, Villa Manager, Doris Gumbs and Driver, Brandon Busby, Managers – Brian Corbett, Landscape and Horticulture Manager at Aurora Anguilla, Manager of Landscaping and Horticulture at Belmond Cap Juluca, Mr. Nagy, and Verna Rogers and Monica Bryan, Events Manager and Guest Experience Manager, respectively, at Belmond Cap Juluca.
They also benefitted enormously from their interactions with the General Manager at the Anguilla Great House, the President of the Anguilla Hotel & Tourism Association, Mr. Will Fleming, who spoke extensively with the students about their future in the Tourism and Hospitality Industry, and the critical role they could play in guiding the policy direction of their island’s Tourism Development.
During their stay, the group also experienced a number of Anguilla’s restaurants, including Tasty’s Point of View, Blanchard’s Beach Shack, Elvis on the Beach, Zemi Restaurant, Zenaida Restaurant at the ACC and Las Olas Restaurant.
The students also met with a team of officials from the Department of National Resources, led by Mr. William Vanterpool, Director of Agriculture, which afforded them the opportunity to learn about and experience many of the new projects currently being explored by the Ministry of Sustainability, Innovation and the Environment, including the Aquaponics Unit, the Hatchery, the Composting Unit, the Abattoir, and the National Green Space.
The students further had the opportunity to visit the Anguilla Community College where they were hosted by the President, Dr. Kenneth Williams and Mrs. Charmaine Rey-Richardson, the Sixth-Form Coordinator, and members of their Academic and Culinary teams. They also visited the ALHCS’ Campus Q, where they toured the facilities, and met and interacted with their counterparts from the Cape Tourism Program of the ALHCS’ Sixth Form under the tutelage of Ms. Kishma Hughes, Tourism Studies teacher, and sat in on classes being delivered on that day.
On behalf of the students, we express deep appreciation to all stakeholders who collaborated with the DoE and the ACC to make this a memorable and enjoyable learning trip for the students of the Tourism Studies Cape Unit 1 group. We expect that this field trip will become the first of a long and mutually beneficial educational exchange between the SXM Academy and the ALHCS/ACC.
