Top on the list of matters addressed at the Government’s press conference on Tuesday, March 21, was the Memorandum of Understanding signed by the Government of Anguilla and Airbnb to further promote the island’s tourism industry.
Chief Minister and Minister of Tourism, Mr. Victor Banks, said the arrangement would help “to promote Anguilla as a premier destination in the Caribbean.” He stressed that such promotion of the island “would not only be for its world-class beaches, crystalline waters, top class hotels and restaurants, but also for its unique experience, identity, cultural heritage and environment.”
He described Airbnb as a company that had been in existence since in 2008, had become a major tourism accommodation organization with a listing of two-and-a-half million properties and individuals throughout the world; and a company with an Anguillian listing of 317. He was pleased that the company was sharing the Anguillian experience with visitors, and allowing local persons with available rooms and small villas to rent to the visitors.
The Chief Minister further said that the MOU with Airbnb provided an opportunity for the Government of Anguilla to collect such revenue as Accommodation Tax, and other fees, that would not normally be collected outside of that arrangement. He stated that the opportunity to have the signed MOU had resulted from a casual meeting – at the end of last year – involving an executive of Airbnb, himself, Mr. Cardigan Connor, Parliament Secretary Tourism, and Mr. Larry Franklin, Permanent Secretary. He was delighted that the agreement had proceeded so quickly and that Executive Council had given its approval to the arrangement.
Mr. Connor, who was also at the press conference, said Airbnb was a very important resource in providing information about Anguilla to potential visitors. “It is a great opportunity for us to take advantage of”, he went on. “Airbnb will strengthen the Anguilla tourism product by offering unique facilities and experience beyond our award winning properties.
“For quite a while Anguilla was regarded as a high-end 5-star destination, but in the last couple of years Airbnb has been operating here in Anguilla. It gives some of our home-owners, who might be struggling, and have vacant apartments, opportunities to become part of the tourism industry and not just employees at hotels. It is a huge positive for us in Anguilla.”
Mr. Connor added that the arrangement was not a lowering of Anguilla’s well-known high accommodation standards, but an opportunity for the participating people of the island to strive towards upholding and even further promoting those high standards.
Another matter dealt with earlier at the press conference was Brexit – the forthcoming departure of the United Kingdom from the European Union, and how it would affect Anguilla and the other British Overseas Territories. Chief Minister Banks said Mrs. Blondell Cluff, the Anguilla Government’s UK-EU Representative in London, had prepared a press release as a guide to the people of Anguilla. It would include the process of UK’s withdrawal from the EU after some 40 years of membership, and how Anguilla’s expectations and concerns would be incorporated by the UK into the coming Brexit discussions. The Chief Minister gave Anguilla’s long-established relationship with neighbouring French and Dutch St. Martin/St. Maarten as one of the concerns.
On the home front, Mr. Banks mentioned the constitutional impasse that had been reached between his government and Governor Christina Scott regarding the reshuffling of Ministerial responsibilities which he had put forward. He noted: “It cannot be said that the matter has been resolved to the satisfaction of all the parties concerned. There are some issues which we made accommodations on as part of the negotiations, and we will make a determination how to deal with those cases in the future.” He said discussions were taking place between the Deputy Governor and the affected Permanent Secretaries, in the ministries, on the way forward and the compromise that was arrived at. A press release is to be issued by the Governor’s Office.
Mr. Curtis Richardson, Minister of Infrastructure, spoke on several matters. Among them were the requirements for the Anguilla ferryboats travelling to St.Martin/St.Maarten to meet certain standards of certification. He explained that, notwithstanding the close relationship among the people of the three territories, the ferryboats were now regarded as travelling in international waters. He stated that the new regulations included such requirements as certificates, life rafts, fire extinguishers and documentation. He was aware that the ferryboat operators were endeavouring to meet the required standards, but urged them to make a greater effort to do so to avoid running into difficulty when travelling to the half-French, half-Dutch territory.
Mr. Richardson’s other main subject was fishing in Anguilla waters. He said the Executive Council had approved a project, submitted by the Department of Fisheries and Marine Resources, whereby three foreign fishing operators were permitted to fish in Anguilla’s waters. He denied rumours that the island’s fishing grounds were given away, stressing that the fishing vessels were being permitted to operate 45 miles north of Anguilla. He emphasized that they were not being allowed to operate where Anguillians fish for lobsters, conch or have their fish traps.
The Minister said the Fishers Association and other related persons were aware of the permission granted to the three fishing operators. He advised anyone seeing them violating the arrangement to report the matter to the appropriate authorities in Anguilla.
Mr. Evans McNeil Rogers, Minister of Health and Social Development, spoke about the collaborative working relationship between the Health Authority of Anguilla and the Department of Social Development. He reported that both entities had signed a memorandum of understanding to work together.
Among other arrangements, the Health Authority is to provide healthcare and the Department of Social Development, although not a revenue-collecting department, will provide financial assistance from government funds. The beneficiaries will include indigent persons and other categories of persons needing help as well.
