Still relishing Anguilla’s third consecutive winning of “Number 1 island in the Caribbean” (Bermuda and The Bahamas), Parliamentary Secretary, Tourism, Mr. Cardigan Connor, is predicting a good 2019/2020 season for the island.
In addition to that high rating for the island, one of the positive contributors he is banking on is the big wedding, coming up shortly at Four Seasons Anguilla, which will see large numbers of visitors flying into the island on jet aircraft from the United States.
“I see this year’s tourism season as very positive indeed,” Mr. Connor told The Anguillian newspaper. “The fact that over the last three years we have been voted Number 1 Island in the Caribbean (Bahamas, Bermuda), by the readers of Travel & Leisure, holds a huge sway for us. Over the last season, up to August, we had the highest numbers of stay-over visitors. When we have a season that goes that long, it means that our people are being employed for the best part of ten months of the year – and this has not happened for a number of years. So that is a huge positive.
“On the ground, our people in the Anguilla Tourist Board in New York, London, South America and elsewhere, have been working quite hard, hitting the ground running. Here, at home, there have been a number of training sessions at the Tourist Board for customer services personnel including taxi-drivers. So we understand and appreciate the importance that the tourism industry brings to us – and not to settle on our laurels for having three good years in the past. We really want to make next year even better still, and there are a lot of positives out there that suggest we are heading in that direction.”
Mr. Connor continued: “The start of the season with a big wedding – a sell-out actually – at Four Seasons holds sway for us as well. I think that is a big plus, a huge kick-start for us. So I am very optimistic of the coming season. In fact a number of people are already in Anguilla preparing for the wedding, and of course guests will start arriving on October 31st. So it is a very good start for us. There will be a challenge with the volume of people coming all at once but we are prepared for it and will get it right.”
(As a consequence of the event, Four Seasons will be closed to the public from October 31 to November 6.)
Commenting on Anguilla being featured as a huge destination for weddings, Mr. Connor stated: “It is huge. Last year there was a big wedding at Belmond Cap Juluca. A wedding for anybody is a special occasion, and for people to choose Anguilla as a destination for that purpose says that they have a good deal of confidence in our destination.
“If you consider 500 people coming to a wedding it tells you that the island is being promoted to many other couples as well. They will go back and report on the occasion and the destination. The chances going forward are that many more weddings may take place at this scale.”
The Parliamentary Secretary, Tourism, acknowledged that from time to time some challenges would come up. “As you know every year, whether it is the hurricanes, the chikungunya or the zika, and of course the challenges we are facing now, we have to find a way of dealing with them. There are certain circumstances that are beyond our control but as Government … we have to prepare ourselves in the best possible way to deal with whatever situation that arises. I think over the years we managed to do that, and whatever obstacle comes our way we will deal with it.
“For now, our hotels and people are prepared for a positive season and we are very fortunate. I know there is still November to be clear of hurricanes. That type of weather sets back all of us when we think about what hurricanes have done to The Bahamas. We are very fortunate and we thank God for that. As we go forward we should look to doing the best that we can with the things under our control.”
Mr. Connor was asked about the marketing budget for Anguilla as a tourist destination. “There is always room for more. At this point it is about four million US dollars,” he stated. “I think what is important for us is that we are in a position where we can compete with the other destinations. If you consider the money that goes for marketing, to the Ministry of Tourism, the upkeep of the island, and some of the features and fixtures that we have to put in place, there is always room for more funds – but the money must be found somewhere.”
He added: “Hopefully this year with us having a successful season, it is hoped that more funds will be available to further enhance the tourism industry. I just wish to make the point that collectively during the tourism season we all have to work together – staff members, hoteliers, taxi-drivers and everybody else. Tourism is key for us. It is everybody’s business so we must unite to take Anguilla forward to where we want to go.”
