On September 27th 2020 we celebrated World Tourism Day under the theme: “Tourism and Rural Development” – connecting tourism to job creation in small towns and rural areas. We all know that tourism has been the mainstay of our economy and the majority of our workforce and businesses depend almost solely on this sector for survival. Despite calls for the diversification of our economy – for decades – political parties and actors have used the word diversification as a talking point during the election season with no real plan to deliver on this promise. This is quite evident as politicians who held office in the past continued to put all their eggs in the tourism basket. The devastating impact of Hurricane Irma was a forewarning of how fragile our economy was – when our only source of real income and tax revenue for the government disappeared overnight.
Now, with the advent of the coronavirus pandemic, our country and the Caribbean as a whole grapple with massive and long-term unemployment at unprecedented levels, increasing poverty and desperation, and a growing concern about the increases in domestic violence and criminal behaviours. It is clear to see how quickly things can spiral out of control as the current circumstances continue. The latest blow was the recent dismissal of workers at Cap Juluca as the prospects of reopening and guest arrivals become more uncertain and even unfavourable. Indeed, the issues we face, and the repercussions to our people, are life-changing critical events.
The time has come for us, as a country, to really sit down with all stakeholders to reflect on Anguilla as a tourism product. For decades we have catered to a high-end tourism clientele who frequented our shores, stayed in our 5 star accommodations, ate in our best restaurants and enjoyed the exclusivity that Anguilla offers. Our businessowners catered to a specific class of tourist where, for the most part, money was no obstacle; our tourism workers enjoyed generous service charges and tips – and would have sufficient savings to take them through the off-season period. However, we have to face the reality that in the medium to long-term Anguilla will be forced to compete with several other Caribbean countries – and alternative tourism markets that offer ease of access coupled with much more “bang for the buck”.
During this global economic downturn, everyone, including the high-end tourist bracket, is paying very close attention to the bottom line. In addition, while Anguilla has joined the ranks of other countries, like Barbados and Antigua and Barbuda, by offering incentives to persons to come and “work in paradise” for a year or more – compared to our Caribbean counterparts, the cost of moving to Anguilla, renting an apartment, and paying for food, transportation, and other monthly expenses is not competitive. Barbados has already generated over 1 million dollars in revenue in applications for persons wishing to work remotely – and both Barbados and Antigua have international airports. Is Anguilla really prepared to be competitive in this new market that has developed as a result of COVID-19?
What our tourism industry needs is a paradigm shift in what we offer – and broadening our reach to other tourism markets that focus more on value for money. Yes, this will require not just a shift in our tourism policy, but also in the way that we think about tourism. We also have to consider the “CARICOM Bubble” – and how we can develop air access and cater our tourism product to fit the pockets of our CARICOM neighbours who wish to visit but are forced to travel to other Caribbean destinations that are more affordable. We cannot sit down and wait for a COVID vaccine to materialise with the hope that the high-end tourists will return to pre-COVID levels. This is wishful thinking. We must be proactive in taking advantage of what is possible during these difficult times, cater our tourism package to a lower price point in order to compete while, at the same time, working to lower the cost of living and the cost of doing business, with greater investment in real diversification of our economy. This is necessary so that all our people can thrive during this ongoing crisis. We cannot carry on with business as usual with our heads in the sand. We have to change with the times and do so quickly. If we don’t, we will be left behind.
