Anguilla News covers Anguilla and the wider
Caribbean.
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ANGUILLA’S
ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY & TOURISM MANAGEMENT POLICIES PLACES
IT 4TH IN THE CARIBBEAN & AMONG TOP TOURISM ISLANDS IN THE
WORLD
October 29, 2007: In an attempt to help protect the world’s distinctive places through wisely managed tourism and enlightened destination stewardship, National Geographic’s Centre for Sustainable Destinations (CSD) surveyed conditions on 111 selected islands and archipelagos in its fourth annual Destination Scorecard survey. The survey reflects evaluations made by a panel of 522 well-travelled experts representing a variety of fields, including ecology, sustainable tourism, geography, travel writing and photography, site management, historic preservation, indigenous cultures and archaeology.
In the survey, reported in the November-December 2007 National Geographic Traveller magazine, Anguilla received a score of 70 points placing it in 37th position from among the 111 islands and 4th among Caribbean islands with only Dominica, The Grenadines and St. John (USVI) being ra29nked above the island once dubbed Tranquillity Wrapped in Blue. According to the scoring key provided by the experts, with a score of 70, Anguilla is classified as having minor difficulties. The panel of experts which included representation from Anguilla characterised the island as having “Tremendous aesthetic appeal with pristine beaches and healthy reef system. Tourism is up-market and low density. Large hotels have altered formerly pristine coastal settings, damaged archaeological sites, and required the importation of labour.”
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The panel, aided by George Washington University, considered the qualities that make these island destinations unique - the “integrity of place” – using six criteria weighted according to importance: environmental and ecological quality; social and cultural integrity; condition of historic buildings and archaeological sites; aesthetic appeal; quality of tourism management; and outlook for the future.
In what amounts to both commendation and constructive criticism to some of the Anguilla’s tourism policies presently being employed, the panel of experts rationalised the island’s ranking by explaining, “The Island has eschewed large cruise ships, minimizing the impact of thousands of day-trippers. Islanders are aware of Anguilla’s special providence and aren’t selling it off at the pace seen on other Caribbean islands.” They however, observed that while “The beaches are gorgeous…it is becoming a place only the ultra-rich can enjoy.”
In explaining the reason for undertaking the study, CSD Director Jonathan Tourtellot said, “Islands symbolise
vacation. Their very insularity makes them more attractive
than a comparable piece of real estate on the mainland…But
as micro-worlds, islands are also more vulnerable to
population pressure, climate change, storm damage, invasive
species and now, tourism overkill."
While Denmark’s Faroe Islands and Portugal's Azores received the highest scores, the publishing of the survey’s findings is intended to serve as motivation for those islands that did not fare too well to take strong decisions to ensure an upward move. The magazine’s Editor in Chief, Keith Bellows admits that the promotion of sustainable tourism and sustainable destinations is “a work in progress, a snapshot in time. We hope that places at the bottom of our Destination Scorecard won’t be there for long. We’re interested in constructive criticism, not condemnation.”
For Anguilla, the survey results expose the need for a
greater focus on “Geo-Tourism” (i.e. tourism that sustains
or enhances the geographical character of the place being
visited - its environment, culture, aesthetics, heritage and
the well-being of its residents). The island’s scorecard
highlighted issues of stewardship with the hope that tourism
development on the island is placed on the political and
social agendas for active discussion and debate.
