Gilda Gumbs-Samuel thanking Lake for serving as President. From left: Fred Thompson, Sandra Richardson, Janine Edwards, Peter Parles, Gilda Gumbs Samuel and Delroy Lake.
ANGUILLA–Members of the Anguilla Hotel and Tourism Association (AHTA) met to elect four new officers and review the island’s recent tourism trends and challenges during its 2018 annual general meeting (AGM) held at the Four Season Hotel’s Aleta Restaurant on Monday evening, November 26. Outgoing AHTA President Delroy Lake was honoured and presented with a plaque.
Anguilla’s hospitality sector built on outstanding five-star accommodations and service, is dependent on the delivery of services by all involved, from arrival to departure. Chris Richardson, who has worked in the hospitality industry for over 30 years, addressed these issues during his talk “The Importance of Training in the Hospitality Industry.” He said, “Training is a key component of any organisation. Setting standards unique to the organisation is accomplished through the training and monitoring process, and must be ongoing – it never stops.”
AHTA Executive Director Gilda Gumbs-Samuel announced that AHTA in collaboration with Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association will host a two-day training opportunity at the Anguilla Community College in the areas of Customer Service for Hospitality and Tourism Personnel and Effective Team Leadership for Management – open to all hotel employees. Attendees will receive a certificate upon successful completion.
Outgoing ATHA President Lake said, “Difficult roads oftentimes lead to beautiful places.” Recapping the difficulties of 2017-2018 in the tourism industry caused by Hurricane Irma, he noted the island’s resilience. Lake said, “One of the outcomes of that resilience was Anguilla being named the number one island in the Caribbean for the second consecutive year.” He went on to thank the ATHA members as well as associated businesses that not only supported the rebuilding of hotel properties, but also housed the numerous groups that came to the island to help with the rebuilding. He singled out Gumbs-Samuel for working tirelessly as the focal point to provide information to hotels and guests immediately following the storm.
Lake encouraged AHTA members to fulfil their membership dues requirement, currently the sole source of income, and suggested that the board explore additional funding streams. He highlighted ongoing AHTA initiatives, which include working with the Anguilla National Trust to ban single-use plastics and Styrofoam containers effective March 2019. He ended by encouraging all board members to remain engaged and contribute to the AHTA, saying, “The AHTA is the bridge that brings all voices together for a result that benefits Anguilla’s tourism.”
The evening’s keynote speaker, Parliamentary Secretary of Tourism Cardigan Connor, also covered the challenges of 2017-2018 and then went on to cover a multitude of recovery efforts and actions currently underway. Among actions being addressed is improved access via air from various gateways. He said, “We have to provide our visitors with additional reasons to visit Anguilla. We have to transform and expand our visitor’s experience beyond the beach.”
Following the formal presentations, four new officers were elected to the board.
Source: The Daily Herald https://www.thedailyherald.sx/islands/83129-ahta-elects-new-members-at-agm
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