Managing Change

The current 40th Anniversary of the Anguilla Revolution is one of those high points from where we can survey some of our accomplishments and look at a number of challenges facing us as a small developing nation and how we can go about meeting them head-on. The theme of our present Tourism Week, “Managing Change”, is a well-thought out slogan.

Although specifically coined for the tourism industry, it can be applied to various challenges affecting our society. A quick glance at a few of them reveals a scary situation. If we can deal with these challenges however with the vision, courage and commitment that characterised our post revolutionary journey to this point, it will help us to face another 40 years whatever difficulties we may encounter.

One of the concerns of our tourism planners is that Anguilla is losing its competitive edge and industry brand as competitors all around us, some with greater resources, are making inroads into our markets. Further, the same internationally-renowned hotels and other services are popping up everywhere – including Anguilla thus reducing the uniqueness of the island. Here is where the local industry faces the challenge to be different by devising new strategies and perhaps creating its own niche markets. It is all about managing change.

Another challenge is crime in its varied forms and sophistication. Experience shows that unless we are prepared to fight and control this ugly spectre in our community with all our might, it can wreak severe damage to the tourism industry we are working so hard to build and sustain. Just as the crime level is changing and increasing, so must we endeavour to manage that change by meeting the sophistication of the criminal with the build up and sophistication of our law-enforcement capability along with public support.

A third challenge facing our small but growing population is the ominous threat of HIV/AIDS. A show this week on one of the leading television networks in the United States posed this pertinent question: “Are we forgetting AIDS?” Well it seems so everywhere – even in Anguilla to a great extent. Saturday, December 1, is World AIDS Day and although over 33.2 million people globally are suffering from the disease, many are carelessly disregarding the threat it is posing. Here in Anguilla the National HIV/AIDS Programme Office and groups like the Optimist Club are doing much to spread an awareness of the disease, but there is a need for more assistance and for the public to take heed. It is hoped that the recent visit of the PANCAP high level mission to Anguilla will result in some well-needed help for us in fighting this epidemic now spreading across the world.

Space does not permit the listing of further challenges facing us either as an island by itself or part of a world society but one thing is certain. We have to learn to manage change and to respond in a manner that will bring hope and success to us and those coming behind.