Parliamentary Secretary Addresses Members Of The AHTA

Mr. Hughes stands second from left in this ATB photo at ITB Berlin - FILE PHOTO not of the AHTA event

(Meads Bay, Anguilla) The conference room at Malliouhana Resort and Spa provided the perfect location for The Honorable Mr. Haydn Hughes to address some 52 members of the Anguilla Hotel and Tourism Association (AHTA). The meeting, which was held last Thursday April 22nd, was felt to be informative, and encouraging, and provided the association members a glimpse of the way forward for the tourism Industry.

Mr. Delroy Lake, Vice President of the AHTA, welcomed guests, while Mrs. Sherille Hughes, President, made the announcement of the appointment of Mrs. Gilda Gumbs-Samuel to the position of Executive Director of the association.  Mrs. Gumbs-Samuel has been acting in that capacity for some time, and prior to this appointment served as the  Membership and Events Manager of the Association for the past three years.
 
Mr Hughes, First Nominated Member and Parliamentary Secretary with responsibility for Tourism said that for Anguilla to be competitive with its brand of tourism, everything that we do must be of a five (5) star standard. He reminded the members of the association that while we are unique, we are in direct competition with other destinations, and as such we must deliver a five star product if we are to continue attracting and increasing our on island arrivals.
 
Mr. Hughes admitted that there have been issues with access, and without proper access, Anguilla, as a destination will continue to suffer. He added that American Eagle, has cut back on the number of flights into Anguilla, but we cannot blame the carrier, as the load capacity would not allow them to continue as they have in the past. He stressed that the island’s occupancy must increase, for American Eagle to view Anguilla as a destination warranting a daily flight.  Mr. Hughes advised the tourism members that talks were already underway with both the Commissioner of Tourism, Mr. Franz Richardson, and the Lieutenant Governor, Franklin Richards, of Dutch St. Maarten, on the ease of access between St. Maarten and Anguilla. He indicated that the matter has already gone to the Executive Council in St. Maarten, and a final solution should soon be in place, that would benefit both islands.
 
One of the hot button topics at the meeting was the issue of litter on the island overall. There are several clean up campaigns currently being organized by various stakeholders and community groups, and focus is definitely on cleaning up and educating the island on the benefits of keeping Anguilla clean.   Mrs. Gilda Gumbs-Samuel reported that the AHTA is currently working on a KEEP ANGUILLA CLEAN jingle, which will start the ball rolling in terms of awareness and education on the importance of a clean island.
 
There was a lengthy questions and answers period, which addressed many of the member’s issues, leaving some members to comment that they were very encouraged on the way forward. The meeting ended on a very positive note.