Sunset Lounge and Lawn at Four Seasons Resort and Residences, Anguilla, was a beehive of activity as the island reopened to fully vaccinated visitors from all over the world on Thursday, July 1. There were also many arriving visitors at a number of other hotels on the island, creating an atmosphere of business as usual and delight.
That date was anxiously looked forward to. Many residents wanted to see a further step taken by the Government towards the reopening of the island to reactivate the tourist-based economy. Equally, it was also a date that many tourists eagerly awaited to arrive in Anguilla which had successfully managed a number of imported COVID-19 cases, and the more recent cluster of the virus found in several parts of the island.
In addition to the visitors at the party at Four Seasons were Government officials, senior personnel in the Ministries and Departments of Customs and Inland Revenue – and other specially invited Anguillian guests.
“Please join us in celebrating all we have to be grateful for, especially your support,” the invitation to the mass party read in part. Four Seasons General Manager, Mr. Diego Angarita, spoke about the celebration in an interview with The Anguillian newspaper. “We are celebrating the opening of Anguilla as the next step,” he said. “This is a celebration with all the guests to make this arrival on July 1 with the reduction of restrictions; and we wanted to say thank you – not only to our guests for coming – but also for the island of Anguilla for the patience and dedication it has taken all of us to get through this pandemic.”
Told about the overwhelming attendance at the party, Mr. Angarita continued: “It is a great crowd. We had close to 300 people arriving today. They all waited for their arrival today, and they are excited to come back to visit Anguilla. And one of the best ways to greet them is with a celebration. We are offering food stations – showcasing each one of our four restaurants on property. We are going to follow that with a performance by Omalie 360 which will include dancing at Sunset Lounge which is our signature.”
Later, Mr. Roy Shanholtz, Vice President/ Asset Manager Hotel Operations with Starwood Capital Group, owners of the resort, arrived on the scene. “I am really excited that the bubble has come to an end,” he told The Anguillian. “It has been a long and interesting road for the world and the people of Anguilla directly. Anguilla has taken several measures that many places haven’t taken, and I think it has been to the betterment of Anguilla and her people. I think that with the proliferation of the vaccines, we in the United States are widely open now, and I think it is time that Anguilla to be widely open now. I think it is a safe place to be and the statistics show that if you are vaccinated you are not going to be impacted. If you are not vaccinated, the potential to be impacted is still very low as the impact of the recent outbreak of some imported cases showed. There were a few hospitalisations but no one passed away. So, from my prospective, I think that it is time turn the page on COVID; that we reopen the island fully. As you can see, from the many people here at Four Seasons, there is a large audience waiting to come to Anguilla once the island opens.”
Later on, Mr. Shanholtz addressed the crowd, thanking them for attending the celebration and informing them about the present and future plans of Four Seasons Anguilla.
Anguilla’s Parliamentary Secretary, Mrs. Quincia Gumbs-Marie, was elated to be at the event: “I am very excited about seeing these visitors who were looking forward to coming to Anguilla and anticipating our reopening,” she stated. “It is a signal that we have done a good job in keeping Anguilla on the top of our mind throughout this period. Day one in July is a signal to the world that we are back, and our tourism product is ready to do what it does to be resilient and respond to change. We know that it is a very uncertain time and just to see how many persons, even in this uncertainty, took a chance, believed in Anguilla and waited on Anguilla, is something that I am so proud about. I want to thank each person who came to Anguilla, and all the persons who worked behind the scenes to make the arrivals possible – the Portal Team, the Executive Council, the Health Team and everybody involved in making today a success. The reopening of Anguilla is an example of hard work and what it can do.”
Minister Kyle Hodge, who has responsibility for Economic Development, commented: “It is good to see what normal used to look like. We have not been seeing this type of activity of people movement in the past fifteen months. Being in an outdoor setting like this is something we would encourage because you won’t have to wear your mask. You are outside and can be at social distance. Once we can keep this type of activity happening, Anguilla can bounce back.”
Three other Anguillians at the celebration were the Comptroller of Customs, Mr. Kiel Connor, the Acting Comptroller of Inland Revenue, Mr. Lonnie Hobson, and the Liaison Officer working between the Government of Anguilla and Four Seasons, Mr. Seymour Hodge.
Mr. Connor said: “It is good that we are finally opening up to get the economy stimulated because COVID-19 has put a damper on economic activity – and it is much needed for people to earn an income so that the money multiplied factor can work in terms of being able to go in the shops; feed your family and maintain your lifestyle, etc.”
He added: “Trade facilitation is definitely very important, and as the country reopens it creates opportunities for us, at Customs, to generate more revenue through the collection of duties.”
Mr. Hobson had this to say: “Like the invitation said, it is a party for our people to finally get out. We have been locked down so it is good for us ‘to come out, get together and get our groove back.’
“We, at the Inland Revenue work closely with the Government in areas like Accommodation Tax and Property Tax to keep those synergies going. We decided to come and show our support as they [the hotel operators] show their support for us. It is not just about us as tax-collectors. We also have to create those bonds and relationships with other businesses in the community that we deal with. We are just happy to be out and a little free from the masks-wearing – although we have to get back to that mode of wearing the masks again if we get more infected persons coming to the island. The vaccinations have also helped us to be at ease in making sure that we can come out and feel freer to be with other people again.”
Mr. Seymour Hodge added his comments. “It is a good feeling to have this hotel opening to a certain degree,” he observed. “In terms of occupancy, for this week of July, it is close to 80 percent. I think it helps the economy. I noticed you had an interview with the Comptroller of Inland Revenue and I am sure that the Accommodation Tax will be the best for the month of July this year.”
Meanwhile, a number of visitors openly commented on the current reopening phase in Anguilla and their delight to be on the island at this time. One such visitor was Nicola Chilton from Yorkshire, England.
“How do you feel to be in Anguilla at this time?” she was asked.
“I feel so happy to be in Anguilla,” she replied. “It is a beautiful place and I feel very safe here. The people are some of the most welcoming people I have ever met. They are incredibly friendly.”
She added: “I know Four Seasons, as a brand, very well, and I am really excited to be at this beautiful party with all of these people. I will be in Anguilla for a few weeks.”
The celebration continued for several hours. Everybody thoroughly enjoyed the beauty, settings and service at Sunset Lounge; its spacious Lawn; the offerings at the various food stations; the dazzling fireworks; the entertainment of Omalie 360 and his band; and the togetherness among so many diverse persons.
