Last week I was happy to have been personally invited by one of my godchildren to view an exhibition featuring the School Based Assignments (SBAs) of the Fifth Formers, at the Albena Lake-Hodge Comprehensive School (ALHCS), in Arts & Craft. I was very impressed with the quality of the exhibits but I was even more impressed with manner in which the students explained the themes and the processes involved in creating them. I am always amazed — yet proud of the amount of talent residing in the young people of our island. And I feel duty bound to highlight this promising future especially at this time when there is so much negative commentary on young people. What I saw at the Rodney McArthur Rey Auditorium was the showcasing of real talent and I got the feeling that when all is said and done our patrimony will be in secure hands.
It also occurred to me that the work that was being proudly exhibited, and the talent that was being honed, would fit well with the vision we all have for Anguilla as a tourist destination where the emphasis is on high quality products and services. That exhibition was for me a peek into the future where I could visualize a number of those students as artists, sculptors, potters and craftsmen. Their work would then be seen at the various galleries; boutiques; and gift & craft shops all over the island and eventually abroad. I took the time to view every single exhibitor engaging each of them in conversation. I got “goose bumps” on several occasions as they spoke with passion about their project. Coincidentally, it was on the very same day that I was signaled to stop my vehicle while what seemed like thousands of preschoolers marched down past the Webster Park Roundabout, south down the street adjacent to St Mary’s Church. I am sure that one day some of those very preschoolers will also be showcasing their talents. And I sincerely hope that we will be in a position, as a nation, to provide for their needs. Indeed, we hope that what we are doing in our main industry, tourism, will provide for and make a place for their total development as young people.
But what I have been hearing in recent times from the tourism sector, especially on the Government level, has been disquieting. It seems fair to ask two questions: 1) “Who is in control of our future in the industry?” 2) “Will the industry thrive in the present unstable environment?”
Since 2010, the Anguilla Tourist Board has gone through a number of Chairmen and Board Members. On each occasion it appears that the changes that were made, and the resignations that took place, were as a result of displeasure on the part of all involved as to what is happening in the management of the Board; the Ministry and the industry. There seems to be constant conflict among Members of the Tourist Board; the Director and Staff of the Tourist Board; the Officials in the Ministry of Tourism; the Minister and Parliamentary Secretary; the Tourism Private Sector and its various agencies. At times it has been reported that it appears that there is a total breakdown of communication between all the sectors and agencies. The result has been that there is no clear vision as to where we are going with tourism.
From time to time the Parliamentary Secretary with responsibility for Tourism gets on the media and plays the “numbers game”, namely, quoting the number of arrivals in a given period. For workers in the industry who are on reduced hours or have been laid off; for suppliers who are not being paid in a timely manner; for hoteliers who are experiencing low occupancy levels; and for allied service providers who are struggling to meet their commitments, these numbers have absolutely no value. Such individuals and companies are concerned about the revenue yield not the “head count”. So the tourist industry must truly be measured in terms of what we get out of it — but there must be a clear recognition of the fact that we can only get out of it what we put into it. What we put in is our attitude and approach; a cost effective marketing and promotion campaign; a clear concept of where we want to go as a destination; and a proper plan to get us there.
However, I have received many complaints from stakeholders in the tourism sector that the situation with the management of industry is untenable. After the “bumpy road” to this point, and less than a year before the end of its tenure, the Government has seen it fit to create even more instability. Less than a year after the selection and appointment of a Marketing Agency it seems that the Government found a way to hire another Agency that now stands in direct conflict with that duly appointed Agency. In plain language, the second agency, which is rumoured to have been selected in a less than transparent process, now appears to be the “favoured child”. The consequence of this situation is that the two agencies have a strained relationship. And it appears that the Political Directorate has picked sides to the extent that in a directive to the Tourist Board it has instructed the Director and the Board to curtail all funding to that Agency’s programs.
It does not take a “brain surgeon” to figure out that, given the autonomous nature of Boards, the involvement of the Political Directorate in the day-to-day management of the Tourist Board is a clear indication of a serious breakdown of the system. It means that a body expressly chosen and appointed to manage the tourism sector is now a mere puppet of the Government. The real situation on the ground is therefore one of frustration, and stakeholders are asking the question: “Who is in charge?” The importance of this question is based on the fact that our main industry is without clear leadership. In fact, many of the critical marketing programs, and the material purchased for them, have not been receiving the appropriate funding. As a consequence, Anguilla is unable to keep up with its competitors in the international marketplace.
One can reasonably ask the question: “What is it that the Government is trying to fix?” I have been reliably informed that it has put in place an Oversight Committee to look into the affairs of the Board. But rather than overseeing the Board it appears to be actually running the Board. In addition, it also appears that the Director and the Chairman are either sidelined or overrun. What is the reason for this situation, and what is the end game? Even if the Director; or the Chairman; or the Board is not functioning — this arrangement does not seem like a logical or practical course of action. To make it worse, it appears that technical officials in the Ministry are not “in the loop” either. If there is something that needs to be fixed in the management of the tourism industry it should definitely not be with political solutions. It may very well be the case that that is what caused the problems in the first place.
Stakeholders are justifiably “on edge”. The instability in the administration of tourism does not augur well for sustainability. Because it is the main driver of the economy we must be constantly trying to improve our image and increase our share of the tourism pie. Not only for ourselves but also for those Fifth Formers and preschoolers that are now being prepared to participate fully in the opportunities available in the sector. Why should we then allow petty politics to kill the goose that is laying the golden egg?
