As Parliamentary Secretary of Tourism, Economic Development, Natural Resources and Information Technology allow me to take this opportunity to wish you, the people of Anguilla, a happy Tourism Week.
My entry into the Ministry of Toursim has been somewhat of a baptism by fire, as we took office in the midst of an unprecedented global pandemic, which has disrupted travel on every continent, in every region.
I was honored when the Hon. Premier appointed me as the “Czar” of Anguilla’s reopening, entrusting me with the mission of supervising and implementing the safe and responsible reopening of our borders — firstly to our returning nationals, and then to international travelers. It is a challenge that I embraced, but it is also one which we could never have successfully addressed without the tremendous support and contributions of my colleagues in the Ministries of Tourism, Health and Social Development, and the wider tourism industry.
The World Travel & Tourism Council recently unveiled a report that explored the implications of the future trends for four key travel and tourism stakeholders – travelers, businesses, the workforce, and communities. The report emphasized “the importance of taking a global, coordinated approach to tourism recovery and highlighted the need for the public and private sectors to work together to recover the millions of jobs impacted, rebuild traveler confidence and build the sector’s resilience”. It is on this premise, that we celebrate Tourism Week 2020 which will be recognized from November 29th- December 5th, 2020.
This is indeed the strategy that The Government of Anguilla has adopted.
We strongly believe that a “collaborative approach” has been and will
continue to be our greatest tool as we forge ahead with promoting industry activity, and eventually industry recovery. Our greatest partners in our reopening effort have been the health officials who have gone above and beyond to adapt and respond to the expectations of the Tourism industry, whilst balancing their commitment to public health. Your hard work will continue to be appreciated and is evident in the over 1500 persons you so diligently and safely helped us to welcome to our shores.
The Ministry of Tourism, Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Social Development are committed to working together to ensure the health and safety of our locals and our visitors alike. Almost 800 persons have been trained and certified across the sub-sectors within the industry over the past months. Approximately 100 businesses have been inspected by the Ministry of Health and awarded their Safe Environment Approved or Safe Environment Certified Stamp. This is, yet again, another testament to our collective and collaborative approach to our reopening.
We have all joined together to create a visitor experience worth travelling for. That experience must recall the times before our language and thoughts about human interaction changed so dramatically … just like old times, it must be Beyond Extraordinary; for the foreseeable future, it must be “lose the crowd, find yourself”; and most importantly, the experience must be safe.
So here we are – this is where we’re at, Tourism Week 2020 has found us in a time where health, safety and the economy must be balanced. And to do so, we decided to open in a way that allows our guests to enjoy Anguilla’s exceptional tourism product during the initial stay in place period of 10 – 14 days, while limiting their interaction with Anguilla’s resident population. Our collaborative efforts are only strong if we all work together in the best interest of Anguillian and Anguillians, and as a result, persons or businesses who do not follow the pre-established protocols will face the necessary legal repercussions. The Public Health regulations are not to be taken lightly, and as a Government,0 we will unapologetically use whatever tools necessary to protect the people, friends and visitors of Anguilla.
I am a firm believer that the obstacle is the way. In spite of the current difficulties we face, there are silver linings. We have been able to learn so much about our own product during this time… and the information we are gathering will be useful far beyond the present. With the enhanced communication between ourselves and our stakeholders, we are in a much better place as a government to anticipate industry needs and offer support through innovative policies and directives. And as we look towards the future and rebuilding our tourism industry post COVID 19, we are focused on sustainability, resiliency and restoration.
These are our common goals — sustaining our relationships with our guests and building even stronger connections; improving our resiliency in the face of a crisis, be it health, financial or environmental; and restoring traveller confidence.
2020 reminded us that Tourism is truly everyone’s business. On behalf of the Government of Anguilla, I would like to thank all stakeholders for your continued support of Anguilla’s Tourism Industry over the years, and especially through COVID-19. I look forward to working closely with you to ensure that Anguilla remains the Caribbean’s premiere tourism destination.
