By the Caribbean Journal staff
Anguilla is starting to see a major tourism rebound, according to new data from the Anguilla Tourist Board.
Stopover arrivals to the island rose by 22 percent in January compared to the same month the year before Hurricane Irma (i.e. January 2016), ahead of what was a 20 percent growth target set by the ATB.
It represents a significant step forward as the island continues its post-Hurricane Irma recovery.
That included a 50 percent jump in arrivals from the United Kingdom, along with a 27 percent increase from the United States market and a 13 percent improvement from the Canadian market.
““We’re thrilled that 2019 has got off to a fantastic start and hope this will set the pace for a great year for the destination,” said Cardigan Connor, Anguilla’s Parliamentary Secretary for Tourism.
Indeed, the full slate of the island’s top hotels have reopened, from the venerable Malliouhana to the transformed Cap Juluca, along with its all-important villa market, from villa resorts like Long Bay Villas to ultra-luxe villas like Tequila Sunrise.
“This success is also a result of our stakeholders and their financial investment to rebuild, making Anguilla’s restaurants, villas and hotels more spectacular than ever,” Connor said. “Their demonstrated confidence in Anguilla and Anguilla’s tourism has resonated in the marketplace and contributed to this impressive growth.”
— CJ