Albena Lake Hodge Pan Band at the Tourism Valley Street Festival.
ANGUILLA--A large number of a wide variety of booths featuring local vendors and artisans offering locally produced craft, delicious Caribbean food and drink and even free chair massages were enjoyed by patrons attending the Valley Street Festival. Held all day long on the grounds of the Anguilla Tourist Board (ATB) and adjoining agricultural department, on Saturday, December 9, there was plenty for everyone to see, do and experience. The fair was jointly sponsored by the ATB and the Department of Youth and Culture.
ATB Assistant Manager for Anguilla Destination Experience, Jameel Rochester said the Valley Street fair was the last of the many activities held during the ATB’s 2018 Tourism Week which ran from December 2 through December 8. Under the banner of “Beyond Extraordinary, Transforming the Anguilla Experience,” the activities included an open house event showcasing local products and services to the island’s guests, daily video releases highlighting Anguilla’s people, culture, beaches and tourist attractions on social media, and hospitality presentations to all primary and secondary schools. The ATB staff also paid courtesy visits to hotels and got first-hand positive information on the number of visitor bookings for the season.
Rochester said, “We are excited to see recent statistics that show that our arriving passenger count is very close to our October 2016 figures, which shows that we are definitely bouncing back. Our aggressive marketing activities, plus our industry partners such as the hoteliers and restaurant owners, continue to play a large part in this recovery. We continue to publicise to the world that Anguilla is open and back in business.”
