St. Maarten and Anguilla discuss joint promotion and closer cooperation in tourism

Thursday, November 6, 2003

GREAT BAY, St. Maarten: Top-level government officials from Anguilla and St. Maarten recently met to discuss joint promotion of Anguilla and St. Maarten as tourist destinations and the need for closer cooperation and networking at regional and international tourism institutions.

One of the areas of cooperation will be to support public relation efforts of the Anguilla Tourism Board for its Tranquility Jazz Festival in St. Maarten.

The Tranquility Jazz Festival is set from November 14 - 16 in Anguilla. It is the first festival to be organized on an annual basis. The Anguilla Tourist Board in association with the National Bank of Anguilla and BET Jazz is organizing the festival.

Other festivals to be jointly promoted between both islands are St. Maarten's/St. Martin's Day and the Summer Festival in Anguilla.

Commissioner responsible for Culture Louie Laveist said that the promotion of cultural festivals and the like between the two islands could only add to the quality of both tourism products.

"I would like to take this opportunity to extend an invitation to the people of Anguilla to come over to celebrate with us St. Maarten/St. Martin's Day on November 11. At the same time, I call on the St. Maarten people and visitors to our lovely island to take the opportunity to attend Anguilla's first Jazz Festival which will be held two days after our national festivities," said Commissioner Laveist.

Other areas agreed in principle for joint cooperation are: the leaders of Anguilla, St. Maarten and St. Martin to hold regular summits to discuss areas of mutual interest; the three governments will make a joint approach to the European Development Fund for access to funds for joint promotion/marketing; the officials of St. Maarten to support the re-introduction of the night ferry between Anguilla and St. Martin and to lobby French authorities for the re-introduction.

Anguilla officials will provide St. Maarten counterparts with information on hotel expansion and other tourism facilities in order to support St. Maarten's negotiations with airlines for air-lift out of Europe in particular and also for joint airlift studies.

Anguilla officials will also look into the possibility of participating in St. Maarten's Cruise Conversion Programme as a tool for joint promotion of the destinations. The islands agreed to approach smaller destinations of the Caribbean to adopt joint/common positions to increase their bargaining power at regional and international fora.

The delegation from Anguilla included the Hon. Chief Minister and Minister of Tourism Osbourne Fleming, Hon. Minister of Finance & Economic Development Victor Banks along with their respective Permanent Secretaries and representatives of the Anguilla tourism board.

Commissioner of Tourism & Economic Affairs Theo Heyliger, Director of Tourism Regina Labega, Head of the Culture Department Neville York as well as other representatives from tourism, culture and the offices of Commissioner Heyliger and Commissioner of Culture Louie Laveist represented St. Maarten.

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