Anguilla was represented at the 2017 State of the Tourism Industry (SOTIC) Conference held in Grenada from October 10-13.
The event, held by the Caribbean Tourism Organisation (CTO) was attended by Anguilla’s Parliamentary Secretary with responsibility for Tourism, Sports, Youth and Culture, Mr. Cardigan Connor. He was among Ministers and officials of Tourism from various parts of the Caribbean and outside the region.
Following are the main points of Mr. Connor’s address as it relates to Anguilla:
• It is a somewhat bittersweet experience for us this year. We started the year on a very positive note, a year-long celebration around the 50th anniversary of our secession from the Federation of St. Kitts & Nevis, when we elected to chart our own path to development as a British dependent territory.
• Utilizing Anguilla 50 as our umbrella theme for 2017, we worked with our stakeholders to create special value-added packages and promotions that gave visitors a compelling reason to join us in Anguilla this year. We created an Anguilla App, with more than 70 offers provided by our stakeholders from every sector – hotels, villas, restaurants, tours and attractions.
• And our visitors did respond. We had a stellar growth in the second quarter of this year, with increases of 9% in visitor arrivals and 27% in tourist arrivals. Strong performances by our two major markets, the US and the UK, with increases of 21% and 71% respectively, helped to ensure this healthy upward trend in tourist arrivals.
• In our major source market, the USA – we benefited from high profile magazine features and accolades.
o Sports Illustrated Swimsuit issue in February
o Cover of Departures magazine in May/June
o Winner of the coveted designation “Best Island in the Caribbean” in Travel + Leisure’s 2017 World’s Best Awards, a first for Anguilla
• And in the UK, the BBC aired an eight part series entirely focused on Anguilla, called “An Island Parish”. So we were definitely on track for another record year of tourist arrivals in 2017.
• And then last month a most unwanted and unwelcome guest, Hurricane Irma, paid us a visit.
Post Irma Strategic Response
• We deliberately kept Anguilla under the radar in the aftermath of the destruction stories. Our reality is that the recovery of Anguilla’s tourism industry is integral to the island’s overall recovery; one will not happen without the other.
• For us it was vitally important NOT to create the perception that the entire island would be out of commission for a year or more. Recognizing that our people were negatively impacted and would require assistance, we sought where possible to create a distinction between our residents’ needs — emergency relief – and the state of the tourism product — damaged but not destroyed.
• Our initial communications focused on impact and relief efforts. Now we are ready to tell the story of Anguilla’s recovery – “The Little Island That Will”.
Post-Irma Island Updates
• Anguilla’s motto is “Unity, Strength and Endurance” and we have called on all three in the aftermath of Hurricane Irma. We have much to be grateful for, as both Jose and Maria bypassed us.
• The good news is that the clean-up and recovery is proceeding at a rapid pace, exceeding our expectations.
• Phone and Internet communications have been restored to most parts of the island. Roads and beaches have been cleared, there are no lines at gas stations, and grocery stores are well provisioned.
• Significant progress is also being made on the restoration of the electricity grid; power lines to many villages on the central line through Crocus Hill and The Valley have been restored. Our power company is working around the clock, and daily updates are posted on their Facebook page.
• As the Chief Minister has promised, we will be open for business this Christmas. However we are facing some major challenges.
Access – Air and Seaports
• Restoring access to Anguilla is one of the most critical factors in our recovery process. Our over-dependence on St. Maarten as the primary transit point for our visitors has been thrown into sharp relief.
• We are nevertheless delighted that the Princess Juliana Airport is set to reopen to commercial traffic tomorrow, October 10. We know that many airlines have reduced capacity, as there is limited hotel inventory available, but the reopening of this important regional hub is still very good news for us all.
Airport
• Our Clayton J. Lloyd International Airport (AXA) opened from sunrise to sunset for charter and emergency flights within a week of Irma’s passage. Anguilla Air Services, Trans Anguilla, and Caribbean Helicopters began operating service to and from both St. Kitts and Antigua; several private jets have also come to the island.
• Seaborne Airlines has now resumed service from San Juan, Puerto Rico, into Anguilla three days a week, on Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays.
• Most importantly, with the approval of the British government, plans are now in place to expand the runway by 600 feet from its current 5,400 feet. This extension will allow the airport to accommodate operations from larger aircraft, including the B-737 series, used by a variety of North American carriers.
Seaports
• The Blowing Point ferry terminal was severely damaged, and it has been demolished to make way for new construction. A temporary facility is in place, which is allowing travel for residents of Anguilla and St. Maarten.
• Architectural plans have already been commissioned for the design of the new facility. Construction is expected to begin shortly, at which point a more detailed timeline will be provided.
• The runway expansion and the new ferry terminal at Blowing Point are two initiatives that have long been on the drawing board; we now have the golden opportunity to bring them to fruition.
Resorts & Villas
• The majority of Anguilla’s five star resorts are targeting the first quarter of 2018 as the time frame for reopening to guests. This includes the Four Seasons, Malliouhana, and Zemi Beach House.
• The CuisinArt Golf Resort and Spa and the Reef by CuisinArt anticipate a soft opening over Summer 2018. As you know, the Belmond Cap Juluca closed in August for a long-term renovation; their proposed opening date of November 2018 remains unchanged.
• That said, a number of smaller properties and villas plan to be open for this Christmas season. These include:
• Carimar Beach Club; which is currently housing guests from the British government, UNICEF, relief workers, etc.
• CeBlue Villas & Beach Resort, which sustained damage to only two of their 40 villas; they look forward to welcoming guests for the season. Their sister property Fountain Residences will also be open for Festive.
• Frangipani Beach Resort, Shoal Bay Villas, La Vue Boutique Inn, Paradise Cove are all also currently housing relief workers and UK government officials.
• Several villa rentals will also be back on the market for the Christmas season, some as early as the US Thanksgiving. They include properties like Kishti Villas on Meads Bay; Spyglass Hill, overlooking Sandy Ground; Beaches Edge, East & West; and Cerulean.
• Of note is that the spectacular Bird of Paradise Villa was sold to investors post-Irma, which indicates that our island is still considered a safe and worthwhile investment.
Restaurants
• Many local restaurants have re-opened, among them Johnno’s Beach Bar, Dad’s and Roy’s Bayside Grill at Sandy Ground; English Rose, Tastys and B&D barbecue; MacDonnas, Andys, Ferryboat Inn and Flavours.
• Coming soon, certainly in time for Festive, are Dolce Vita, DaVida’s, Hibernia, Elvis, Scilly Cay, Straw Hat and many more.
• The ATB is creating a central space on their IVisitAnguilla website where a comprehensive listing of all properties on island, updated in real time, will be stored. We will share the link with you as soon as it goes live, which should be some time this week.
• And we will continue to engage and update our stakeholders, travel partners, consumers and you, our friends in the media, through a variety of platforms and channels — newsletters, snapshots, webinars, releases, distributed via social, digital and traditional print and broadcast media.
The Silver Lining
• We have always enjoyed an enviable reputation as the authentic Caribbean experience: beautiful beaches, understated luxury, safe and hassle free, with a friendly inviting people.
• We continue to be humbled and grateful for the outpouring of love and support for Anguilla. We have received generous contributions both in cash and in kind from our stakeholders, our travel partners, our repeat guests, our friends and families in the Caribbean and the wider diaspora.
• Our message is simple — come home to Anguilla this Christmas; keep your winter vacation plans. The best way to help Anguilla is to travel to Anguilla.
• And in the unfortunate case that we absolutely cannot facilitate your visit, then please choose another island in the Caribbean. The Caribbean is the most tourism dependent region in the world. We want, and need your business.
• We have been here before, we know that Anguilla will fully recover, and our product will be stronger and better than ever. We look forward to reclaiming our status as the #1 Caribbean destination, and to welcoming everyone back to our island.
• Thank you all for your unwavering support, and for helping us to spread the good news about Anguilla.
