Found at: http://www.anguillaguide.com/article/articleprint/5850/-1/140/
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Anguilla's Tourism Strategy Up For Review April 22
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Officials of the Ministry of Tourism and the Anguilla Tourist Board, along with a number of valued partners referred to as “correspondents”, will be meeting on Tuesday, April 22, for the first Annual Mid-year Review of the island’s tourism strategy.
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Hon. Victor Banks
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Invitations for the 9 o’clock meeting at the Paradise Cove Conference Room have been sent out in a letter by Minister of Tourism, Victor Banks. “The Review and Outlook Seminar is under the theme ‘Insuring our future through Cooperation’, he stated. “Tourism is the foundation of our economy and it is everybody’s business. As insurance provides protection, cooperation amongst the various stakeholders in our tourism industry will ensure sustainability in the future.”
He said that in addition to the presentations to be made, it was expected that there would be engaging dialog aimed at enabling all stakeholders to play a more effective role in perfecting the Anguilla Experience.
Mr. Banks noted that Managing Change was the central theme guiding the tourism sector and that the upcoming strategic review was occasioned by changes in the market place, changes in Anguilla’s product and the resultant impacts on Anguilla’s performance as a tourism destination.
The Minister prefaced his announcement of the meeting with the following statement: “Anguilla as a tourism destination has been positioned as a low volume high yield destination and has earned a reputation for luxurious tourism accommodation in a casual and relaxing atmosphere. Our competitive advantage has for the most part been wrapped up in our quality accommodations, our friendly people, our beaches, our cuisine, our safety and security. The Anguilla Experience has been the desire of many travelers and the envy of our competitors. The success of our brand positioning has been reflected in the annual growth in tourist arrivals; more recently in the escalation in investment in the tourism sector by both local and foreign developers.
“Tourism experiences are not copyrighted and hence duplication of any aspect of the product is not prohibited. Luxury is now a standard in accommodations. Quality and value for money are now considered a right. There are a number of significant changes now taking place in our tourism product coupled with increased competition and the effects of challenges in the financial markets alongside a weakening US dollar. These factors have only served to strengthen our resolve to develop a sustainable tourism industry that benefits Anguilla, Anguillians and investors while providing a memorable experience for our visitors.”