With one month left before the reopening of Anguilla’s tourism industry, on November 1, when both villas and hotels will be cautiously back into operation, this week has been a very busy period for Government and tourism officials on the island.
According to Minister of Tourism, Mr. Hadyn Hughes, he, and other colleagues and tourism personnel, had been holding zoom meetings with Anguilla’s international marketing representatives discussing the reopening arrangements. This is in addition to the full and frequent Cabinet meetings – and the every Friday zoom meetings he has been holding with property owners on the island.
Mr. Hughes also took the opportunity to respond on Radio Anguilla to certain inaccurate statements allegedly made by Mr. Barry Sternlicht, CEO of Starwood Capital, who claimed that Anguilla had received too much money from the UK Government and, as a consequence, its people were not interested in reopening the tourism industry – and returning to work. This matter was also addressed by Premier Dr. Ellis Webster, who wrote to Mr. Sternlicht, clarified the situation and requested an apology to the people of Anguilla.
Phase one of the reopening plan began with an application process whereby tourists would come to Anguilla, stay in villas and pay prescribed fees. That process is now continuing with the reopening of hotels on November 1 and separate fee arrangements, as set out in an official press release from the Ministry of Tourism, are published elsewhere in this edition of The Anguillan newspaper.
The Government of Anguilla, the Ministry of Tourism and the Health Authority of Anguilla, are doing everything to ensure that the stringent health protocols in place, to guard against the importation and spread of the Covd-19 disease, are adhered to.
The aim of the re-opening process is to reactivate Anguilla’s tourism industry, the mainstay of the economy, and to continue the employment of hospitality workers with villas and hotels back into operation. The necessary health protocols are geared to protect both visitors and all workers in the hospitality sector. The protocols also include visits to the island’s world-class beaches which have been devoid of the footsteps of tourists since the closing of the borders of Anguilla in March this year.
