Though halfway around the world, from countries like Hong Kong andChina,Anguilla, which already has a growing presence there in offshore companies, may eventually have tourism representation in the Asian market as well.
The matter was thought about in the past, but gained momentum several days ago following the visit of travel writer, Cammy Yiu, Editor-in-Chief of CULTURE, a travel, lifestyle and food magazine of Hong Kong, and a long standing advertising publication for Anguilla’s Commercial Online Registration Network.
Ms. Yiu, who was told about Anguilla by the island’s Director of Company Registration, Lanston Connor, during his frequent promotional visits to Hong Kong, said: “Ever since I began working with Lanston and Acorn, it was always a desire for me to come to Anguilla. Yet, at the same time, it is a very long distance. Because I had the opportunity to travel to the United States, I thought why don’t I visit the place called Anguilla.”
She said that she had been delighted with the island’s accommodation facilities and excellent cuisine and that, notwithstanding the distance, visitors from Hong Kong,Chinaand other Asian countries would travel to Anguilla if the right publicity and marketing efforts would be undertaken.
“InAsia, though far away, we want to learn about different places. TheHong Kongpeople, especially, love traveling to see other destinations and I think that’s happening also with the Chinese. There really is no limitation, if we talk in terms of tourism, where the Hong Kong Chinese are willing to go to. In letting everybody know, in Asia, about Anguilla, there seems to be a need to promote theAnguillabrand in a very long, strategic and systematic way. It is definitely something that advertising in magazines and more road shows, as is being done by the Financial Services, would help. The marketing could be for tourism, the financial industry and many other things. There are many positive reasons to come toAnguilla, but the story needs to be told.
Mr. Connor noted that during discussions with the Anguilla Tourist Board, there was agreement that tourism promotion inAsiawould be a matter which would be looked into. “They are facing some budgetary constraints; however, I really think that between now and the next few years we need to have an Asian representative,” he said. “Cammy is well poised to be exactly that person in my point of view. This is because of her knowledge of Anguilla now; her publication which fits right in with Anguilla’s tourism product; and she speaks fluent English and Chinese. All of these are attributes we would need in obtaining an agent in Asia.
“Added to that, she has the connections in Asia; knows the key people who are incorporating and managing the companies inAnguilla; and her magazine deals with travel, hotels and fine dining. It is a perfect match. I have endorsed her to be our Asian rep, and I am pushing that with the Parliamentary Secretary and the Director of Tourism. I think it is something and somebody we need.
“Every jurisdiction is trying to get into Asia and Anguilla is the only one being left behind from a tourism perspective. We tried from a financial services perspective, for a long while, but we now need to marry the two so that the Asian client knows that Anguilla is not just a rock in the sea that sells companies. A good tag line is: you may not have heard about us, but we are well-known. That is a very good tag line for Anguilla because the island is well-known among high network individuals. We all know that they don’t want to tell anybody where they are going, or coming from, but it is their first choice of vacationing. We want to marry that with financial services and private jet arrivals; and in the company’s registry we are looking to expand into private jet registrations. It means that all of this can come together in one marketing cohesive structure.”
Ms. Yiu, the travel writer, observed: “If those in the tourism and financial services consider that Asia is the growth market, for possible economic benefits for Anguilla, then one would think that there should be a presence in Asia. Even if you have a small presence and started developing the brand name of Anguilla for many different purposes, that still takes time because it is not a well-known destination. You need to build a reputation, prestige and brand awareness and that does not really happen overnight, especially with the Asians. I think it is something that should be thought about quickly and as a long-term prospect, where you put something in in terms of a presence and then ramp it up as the years go on. Definitely,Asia is the growth market in terms of travel, business incorporation and so on. That is something that should be thought about.”
Meanwhile, Mr. Connor was asked to comment on how Anguilla’s Registry of Companies was faring in the Asian market: “In terms of inroads into China, we are doing pretty good. Right now, 60-70 percent of our companies are being incorporated inAsia. In terms of growth,Anguillahas incorporated 100 percent more companies in 2011 than in 2010. We totaled 4,033 companies last year, and in May generated 8 million dollars for the Government. This year, we are going to incorporate 6,000 companies and perhaps closer to 10 million dollars for the Government.
“We have reached to a point which I refer to as a point of no return, where the marketing takes effect and it starts to grow on its own. We are not doing any marketing this year because the Government is transitioning between the marketing being done in the Registry to the Anguilla Finance with Steve Garlick. Yet still, as I predict, we are going to incorporate 6,000 companies this year. So as you start to grow, the word spreads and Anguilla becomes a know entity – and you get an increase just based on word of mouth and the fact that we are now out there.We can have that same effect in tourism when we start to market Anguilla in Asia.”
