General Information

SSS Anguilla Safety Security Seminar Anguilla, Friday February 3rd
AHTA/Tourist Board Offices.

Thank you to the 40 plus members and interested individuals who attended. It
was a lively and informative session and obviously one of importance to
many. We would like to extend the associations thanks to His Excellency the
Governor, RAPF Commissioner Benjamin, Glen Hodge, Deputy Controller of
Customs, RAPF Inspector Elliott Forbes, Mr Mitchell Harrigan or Armorguard
Patrol and Technical Services and Ms Estelle Harris of Anguilla Electric
Protective who kindly gave their time to us.

The Anguilla Golf Association (AGA) is offering all AHTA hotel/villa members the opportunity to purchase annual memberships to the Sandy Ground Pitch & Putt course at a cost of US$20.00 per room/per year ( ie a 15 room hotel's annual membership would be US$300/ or a 4 bedroom villa would be US$80.00/year) which would allow full year-round use of the 9 hole course by guests.

In addition, the AGA would provide free of cost a limited number of sets of clubs (consisting of a sand wedge and a putter) to each property that joins as members, for use by their guests. Guests can also rent clubs at the Roadwell Cafe, which serves as the clubhouse for the Pitch & Putt course.

If interested in membership, please contact Malcolm Hope-Ross at 498-3800 or Penny Hope-Ross at 497-3986

The St. Maarten Chamber of Commerce and Industry, in collaboration with a number of local agencies is hosting a series of workshops on Caribbean Tourism Safety from June 6-12, 2004 at the Maho Beach Resort in St. Maarten.

The presenter for these workshops will be Dr. Peter Tarlow, a sociologist specializing in the impact of crime and terrorism on the tourism industry and the world's pre-eminent expert of tourism safety. Dr. Tarlow was the chief security advisor to US President Bill Clinton and worked with the New York City Police Department after the attacks of 9/11/01

Dear Members,
Please allow me to introduce you to Island Neighbours - a new marketing initiative that will help you reach the Caribbean market - and key markets in the Northeast USA.
Produced in conjunction with Caribbean Star and Caribbean Sun Airlines, Island Neighbours will be an inter-island travel TV show, directed by Harry C. Hunter of “The Love Boat ” television series and co- Produced by Tim Cothren, former Producer at ABC TV’s “20/20” with Barbara Walters and Hugh Downs.

The AHTA is lending its support to a new community project "Island Books" that encourages visitors to Anguilla to bring a book on their next vacation to be donated to the island's primary schools.

The project was first started five years ago by longtime Anguilla visitor and educator Heidi Hughey who decided that a donation of reading books to West End School would be a way of giving back to Anguilla. Teacher Art Egel ( principal of West End Primary School) offered his support to the program and they have decided to expand it to include all the primary schools on island.

Dear Members,
The SUNY Cobleskill-Anguilla Advisory Committee (in which AHTA has membership) is seeking to revive the SUNY Cobleskill-Anguilla training program once again this summer and would like to know the level of interest and availability of students to participate in two (2) areas of study:

CARIBBEAN HOTEL FOUNDATION AWARDS $45,000 IN ACADEMIC SCHOLARSHIPS TO CARIBBEAN YOUTH
Anguillian Among Scholarship Recipients
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (September 24, 2003) -- The Caribbean Hotel Association (CHA) has awarded 18 academic scholarships and grants, totaling $45,000, to promising Caribbean students who work in the hotel and tourism sector, through the Caribbean Hotel Foundation, one of the largest scholarship programs in the hospitality industry.

Further to meetings held recently to review the draft Labour Code 2003, please find attached a draft AHTA Position Paper outlining the Association's concerns and comments.
All members are asked to review the attached document and send any comments to the AHTA by July 23, 2004 latest. The AHTA Position Paper will then be sent to Government requesting a meeting with all the Ministers to review the Draft Labour Code 2003.
Please note that participation from every AHTA member in this process is of critical importance. If you have not had time to review the Draft Labour Code 2003, please be aware of the following:
1. According to the proposed Labour Code 2003, it would be a CRIMINAL offence to contravene any statutes of the Labour Code. As a result, any offender, both employer and employee, could end up with a CRIMINAL RECORD, for even the most minor offence.
2. The draft Labour Code 2003 imposes a BACKDATED liability on ALL employers that could end up costing businesses MILLIONS OF DOLLARS and even force some businesses to close their doors.
3. Much of the Draft Labour Code 2003 offends several provisions in Anguilla's Constitution and the fundamental Rights of the Person.

Dear members,

Please see the attached memo received from Wycliffe Richardson,Coordinator of the Office Disaster Preparedness .

This year, July 9th has been designated as National Hurricane Awareness Day. All businesses are being asked to participate in a national exercise on that day to review and carry out their Hurricane Preparedness Plan.