This is your second stint at the Anguilla Tourist Board after a spell elsewhere in the Caribbean. Did the “call of home” take you back to Anguilla?
Yes, it really did! I took a break from tourism in Anguilla for a role in the Turks and Caicos as Assistant Director of Rooms at Wymara Resort and Villas.
But there was a change of (political) cycle back home and I was called back to be the Director of Tourism.
When you are overseas for learning and career opportunities you always have that passion for home so it’s a good feeling being back in Anguilla.
Having Anguillians in key tourism positions is one of the things Cardigan Connor, The Honourable Minister of Health, Tourism and Sports, feels strongly about.
He is a big advocate for Anguillians being at the helm of tourism product and development.
He called me and said “Jameel, I need you to come back”…and I was very excited to take up this opportunity.
You have been in your current position for around 10 months…when you joined what were your first objectives?
One of my first moves was to stress to my team what I believe are the key tenants to follow when it comes to promoting Anguilla.
I call these the “three Ps”.
That is “People”, which I see as our greatest asset.
Secondly, “Product”. You can’t promote the destination without having a range of product in place that reflects true and authentic Anguillan experiences.
And finally, “Purpose”. I think that in everything we do there has to be a purpose behind it, and tourism is no different.
I suspect our government would want to add a fourth P: “Prosperity”.
For those unfamiliar with Anguilla, where is it in the Caribbean?
Anguilla is in the eastern Caribbean Sea, the most northerly of the Leeward Islands in the Lesser Antilles. It lies directly north of Saint Martin and east of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands.
In a few sentences, how would you describe Anguilla’s main selling points?
We are a small island, but we pack a lot into our 35 square miles.
We are the Caribbean without the crowds or groups of cruise passengers.
We are known for our white-sand beaches and as one of culinary capitals of the Caribbean with a thriving foodie scene.
We also have plenty of amazing festivals and events. We are world-renowned for our sailing and sailing events, such as the annual Regatta (May)and Festival Del Mar (Easter), which combines competitive sailing with beach activities.
Our authenticity comes from our people, who are our greatest asset.
When you come to Anguilla, the feeling is not one of a visit that is just transactional. Instead, it is tourism that is personal and personalised, tourism that is ever lasting. When you experience Anguilla, we try to make sure you leave thinking that one visit is not enough.
Anguilla is mostly known as a premium destination, but how does the luxury on offer differ from that found on other islands in the Caribbean?
I would say it is our barefoot luxury.
Yes, Anguilla is usually seen as “high-end”and often draws comparisons with destinations such as Saint Barthélemy (St. Barts), but I always say that luxury in Anguilla has a different type of feel to it.
It is luxury that is understated, laid back and casual; it is free spirited and it is people focused.
I would describe it more as “luxury inclusive” rather than as an exclusive destination.
Also, at whatever price point visitors choose in terms of accommodation, the experiences do not change.
That is, you can stay at a locally owned hotel but still enjoy the facilities at one of our five-star hotels, such as the Four Seasons, by booking their spas or dining in their restaurants.
Also, we have over 300 villas, guest houses and Air B ’n ’Bs on the island.
But wherever you stay or go on the island, you will always be considered a luxury guest of ours.
What kind of year is Anguilla having for visitors?
We have a had a very good year. Year after year we are seeing numbers increasing and last year we closed out with record-breaking figures, especially on the excursions side.
The UK market is also strengthening and in 2025 we had our highest visitation numbers for 33 years, up around 11%.
As a British Overseas Territory, it is important we have strong ties with the UK.
In fact, our government is looking at opening a UK office, by working with one of the representation companies here.
A goal of ours is to grow the amount of time visitors stay with us. We always have a slow period around hurricane season, that is August to October, but we need to bridge that gap a little to ensure businesses are not inactive for too long.
We need a shorter period for when our businesses are closed.
Yes, we need time to make renovations and upgrades, but we want to reopen earlier than we have traditionally managed to do.
There are no direct flights from the UK to Anguilla, so how do visitors get to the island?
We don’t have direct transatlantic access, in terms of non-stop flights from the UK, but travellers have plenty of convenient options.
British Airways flies direct to Antigua and St. Kitts and from both islands there are connections to Anguilla, on Anguilla Air Services and Trans Anguilla.
It is just a 20-minute flight from Antigua and 30 minutes from St. Kitts.
Also, from the U.S., American Airlines fly twice a day on weekdays and often three flights on the weekend.
In addition, BermudAir, operating as Anguilla Air, operates a service twice a week from three U.S. gateways: Boston, Newark and Baltimore.
And another option is to fly to St. Martin and catch ferry across to Anguilla?
Yes, we have been actively promoting access via St. Martin, which is not such a well-known option but offers an easy and fun transfer.
Air France, from Paris, and KLM, from Amsterdam, fly direct to St. Martin and then it is just a short ferry ride (about 25 minutes) to Anguilla. With a rum punch in hand, the crossing over just adds to the holiday experience!
In fact, St. Martin’s ferry terminal is owned by the Anguilla Tourist Board.
There is also a flight option between the two islands. Taking just seven minutes, it is the shortest “international flight” you can take.
We have been partnering with St. Martin on fam trips, particularly in association with Belmond Hotels, which has properties on both St. Martin and Anguilla: La Samanna on St. Martin and Belmont Cap Juluca, a five-star beachfront resort on Maundays Bay in Anguilla.
Packages are now available where you can enjoy both islands on a twin-centre offering.
St. Martin has also been being seeing high arrival numbers, which benefits Anguilla.
When Brits travel to the Caribbean, they stay longer than many other nationalities and, as a destination, we are always thinking of ways we can get them to stay for more days and see more of the region.
Tourism to Anguilla impacts tourism to the Caribbean in general.
Anything new on the horizon?
The Anguilla government has been doing a lot of work when it comes to air access, and particularly our island airport.
In December last year we opened our new terminal at Clayton J. Lloyd International Airport.T he old terminal just didn’t have enough space for sufficient passenger movement.
We now have a terminal that can take more capacity.
The government is now looking at the second phase of the airport’s development as the airport can’t match the demand for larger aircraft looking to fly to Anguilla.
Our runway is presently 5,500 feet long and we need to lengthen it to 7,500 feet to be able to comfortably land larger aircraft. Right now, we are going through the procurement process.
Also, we have a mega yacht marina taking shape that will include a 48-room boutique property, and we also have another three hotel properties that should be coming onstream over the next two or three years.
Anguilla is not a mass tourismå destination; one that has huge all-inclusive hotels or masses of cruise visitors, and the type of properties we are planning are of a boutique style that will put a premium on sustainability.
We don’t want to overdeliver or overcrowd the destination, but instead will grow our offering with small, boutique luxury brands – and at a pace that is sustainable and that we can control.
