The Editor, The Anguillian
Dear Sir:
Attitudes of our ‘front line staff’ are the first impressions visitors/tourists encounter when coming to Anguilla. These are some of the most important persons in the tourism business. It is becoming more worrisome that some of them still do not realize how much they are hurting our only business – tourism.
A recent incident making the “did you hear” rounds in Anguilla is not the kind of incident we want to hear about. It seems that on or about May, 02, 2014, the rental vehicle of a visitor, with his wife and two children in it, was pulled over by four policemen in an unmarked, black SUV. When the visitor, not aware of what was happening, tried to continue along, the SUV stopped in front of them, forcing them to halt. The visitor was then informed that the sticker on the rental was out of date. The confused man asked, “ Sticker? What sticker?” After being told in effect that being English, he should know what a sticker is (?), the visitors were hauled off to the Police Station and fined on the spot. They had to pay immediately.
To make matters worse – the story says – the owner of the rental had paid for up to date stickers but was told there were none to be had!. Come on, Anguilla! This is May, 2014 – month 5 – we have 7 more to go, and we have no stickers for licensing vehicles? Just what should rental agencies do – this is their busy season? Are we a laughing stock or what? However, since two wrongs do not make a right, the rental agency should not have allowed anyone to rent that vehicle, but for our visitors to be taken to the Police Station and fined must have a terrible experience!
A courteous explanation may have been more helpful – how about calling the owner and obtaining another vehicle; thanking the visitors for their understanding; thanking them for coming to Anguilla and quietly allowing the owner to pay the fine? (He was willing to do so but the embarrassed visitor refused his offer.) These visitors left Anguilla on May 5th. They commented that they had travelled all over the world – somehow I don’t think they will be coming back to Anguilla. People never forget these experiences! Would you?
Some years ago, a hotel workman at a Sandy Ground Hotel told the manager, “No tourist paying me, the hotel pay me.” Are Anguillians still at that level ? How many more times must the Tourist Board and the Hotel Association drill on our consciousness that ‘tourism is key’, the only one we have? Visitors do not have to come here and be embarrassed – many other destinations are open to them!
Wake up, Anguillians – We need them, they do not need us!
Thank you
A very concerned citizen
