Considering the nature of what I'm about to address, I know that not everyone may agree. That’s fine, but to be brief, and "crispy" as someone called me recently...here’s my disclaimer:  This opinion may have been expressed in different ways and at a different time.   I am addressing it now as an observation based on recent experience.  Please feel free to differ. 

If you log on to this website, www.antigua-barbuda.org  The landing page will be that of a beautiful beach.  Maybe it’s in Antigua, maybe it’s not but the message is “The beach is just the beginning…dot. dot. dot… Based on my most recent experience, I’d like to fill in the dots by adding “and also the end.” 

Lately, I’ve been pondering this tagline that is used to market Antigua and Barbuda. About three weeks ago, I was engaged in an activity that included trying to sell (literally) the options that are available to tourists here.  I must add that I am speaking specifically about tourists from the Caribbean. My overall sentiment though relates to our “product” in general.
 

The Context

On Facebook, I posted a preview to the opinion that will be voiced below and had a few comments.  I’m pretty sure that based on the story heading, some folks thought I was going to speak about Sargassum Weed and the ill effects it is having on the tourism industry and how we may be impacted if the invasion continues.  Quite the contrary.  That topic is one that bears consideration, deep thought and action.  The Sargassum weed invasion is just one other example of the point I am trying to underscore with this perspective.  Without the beach remaining pristine and beautiful - Antigua, we have a problem! 

That said, I prefer to leave that particular discussion for those who are well equipped to handle it like Eli Fuller and a host of marine biologists who will certainly be able to speak in great detail about this invasion and its myriad effects. The title of this post should give you an indication that I'm referring to our tourism product.  So yes...the Beach is Just the Beginning they say....And then what?
 

Setting the Scene

For five weeks, I  "tour repped" every weekend.  For those of you who are not quite familiar with the concept, let me explain. 

A particular tour company in company recently struck a deal with a number of travel agencies in the French Caribbean.  To ensure excellent service, the company needed a French speaker (me) to assist with the guests experience while here. Each weekend a total of about 100 visitors from Martinique visited for a week and were placed at hotels including The Veranda, St. James, Jolly Beach, Galley Bay and Halcyon.

Side Note: (To the individual who recommended me – THANKS!)

Additional Side Note: (Parents, please implore your children to learn another language or two, you'd be amazed at the opportunities that possessing this “simple”  skill creates...As a matter of fact, you should learn one too.  Contrary to popular thought, it is never too late to learn a language.  Thanks to my momma I proudly speak two and a half (that’s for the one I’m still learning) languages in addition to my mother tongue.

Anyhoo...back to the topic at hand. As a tour rep, there are a number of expectations.  These include, but are not limited to – meeting the guests at the airport when they come in, visiting them at the hotel specifically for the purpose of "selling tours", and also being available to them should they need resolutions to any issues they may experience with the hotel, the airport transfers, further information and anything at all. Basically they own the right to your attention for the duration of their visit.

The experience has been fantastic.  If you’ve ever met me, I’m sure you too would agree that I’m a "people person" so that aspect was great.  The opportunity to practice another language, to socialize and discuss ideas with visitors to the island is always welcomed and rewarding.  The experience was above all a learning experience.  It is this experience that has  led to the question that I am trying to get an answer to...after the beach what?

You see, in my "tour repping" orientation, I was handed a list of what we offer to our visitors.  It reads something like this...Shirley's Heights, Historical Tours... Catamaran Tours (x 2 different companies x 3 excursion possibilities: Bird Island, Cades Reef, Circumnavigation,) , Barbuda Tour, Stingray City, Helicopter Tours, (kinda expensive!!) Island Safari (where you see among other things "fig tree drive"), Zip Line, Deep Sea Fishing, Horseback Riding (wow!)...you get the drift?  There are quite a lot more but they are along the same lines.  I worked with four pages of possibilities but there were many more....along the same lines, just different operators.  

One of the things a tour rep needs to know  and understand is the type of tourist that they are dealing with.  Once you have figured that out, then it helps you decide what tours you are going to pitch.  By the end of week one, I had decided to stick to Catamaran, Town, (a tour created for these visitors including a translator) Island Tour, (also organized outside a company due to lack of a translator) Stingray.  Those are the ones that were most likely to sell based on previous knowledge of the French Caribbean taste and their vacation M.O.   

On one of the weekends, I met a group of three girls who did practically everything they were offered.  They spent a total of at least  U.S. $700.00 individually on just excursions.  Let's not forget they were also paying for a week at Veranda, and did some shopping and dining outside of the hotel.  The spent some money!! Because they were such good sports, and because they were some pretty cool ladies, on their last night in Antigua, I offered to take them to a restaurant that they had heard about and had not been able to visit.  

Picture it. There we are, sitting at dinner, all four of us.  They are telling me that they had a great time, showing me pictures of all their "adventures” - oh wow....picture from the helicopter; beautiful beaches. Next set of pictures, at the beach from one of the catamaran tours.  Next, beach in Barbuda; excellent. Next set - in the water at stingray city, a few at Shirley's heights, and a few at the Veranda where they were staying. 

As we conversed that evening, I asked about their impressions of Antigua.  Though I was a little hurt for Antigua and its offerings I also was not surprised at what they said.  

They expounded in great detail on the fact that though they had a great time (because they planned to do so no matter what),  they still have not been able to identify Antigua's "culture" or what Antigua represents, or what thing or way of being is Antiguan.  

Big surprise. (NOT!)  I listened as they told me that the customer service in certain places is at quite a low (just as a side note again, I'm available to facilitate!:-).  Apparently, one of the tour guides at this particular historical site  said to someone else  "I only speak one thing: E-N-G-L-I-S-H".  Of course this was within earshot of the visitor – i.e. “tourist”.  The tour guide then proceeded to drag her way through the Dockyard tour as if they “the tourists” were harassing her.  

You’ve probably also heard this one before but they also visited a couple places in Heritage Quay and they felt as if they had been judged already because they did not appear to be the typical picture of a “tourist”. As a matter of fact when they entered some establishments within our “shopping district” they were completely ignored.  Undaunted, the ladies still shopped because of course what the clerks would not have known is that the spending power of the Euro was on their side.

Note well: Despite the great time they had, those unpleasant experiences were still recalled as a part of their overall "experience".  

Oh! One last gem... “Vous jouez beaucoup de reggae et ragga ici”, in other words “you sure do play a lot of reggae and dancehall here”.  No joke.  I'm just telling you what they told me - their perceptions.

So think about it.  What really do we have to offer to the Caribbean tourist?  How does a Caribbean visitor discover the heart and soul of Antigua while in Antigua?  

In my attempts to encourage the purchase of excursions I was actually met with responses like “we have water around us too...that’s not really interesting to us"  "we want to discover things Antiguan” and really, they are correct.  No brainer.  If I live on an island (as I do) I really don't want to spend my money in someone else’s island visiting beaches and circumnavigating because I can do that at home. If I'm going to the beach on another island, getting there will sure as heck not cost me US 120.00.  I want to discover and understand the people, their culture, what is unique to them.  

This year I visited Guadeloupe three times. Each time I discovered something interesting and different that showed me who they are, what is important to them, what their values are (none of them were on a beach) .  The places were not necessarily huge establishments or found on acres of land, but at each place the concept was unique.
 

As I see it…

Here in Antigua, we are a melting pot. (Matter of fact, I think they should just go back to that idea "melting pot of the Caribbean"). We have assimilated everyone else's culture in a plethora of ways.  If that's what it is, work some aspect of that, (in a small way).  If that is not the way we would like to be perceived, then we have to actually find some way to promote all or the remaining "things Antiguan" that we still hold some pride and love for.    

Why for example can we not have a mini-excursion that takes people through the process of making Cavalier Rum..with a culinary experience involving the use of cavalier at the end of the trip.  How about the pineapple farm tour and again the same experience at the end...? ( I understand that is in the works – Kudos!)  How about actually creating an event that gives visitors an experience and education of our "culture" and history, with inclusion of the melting pot reality, along with things that have shaped Antigua in recent years.  How about something that leaves them feeling like they learned something and had a great time doing it?  Add some food and drink to that too...

I do not claim to have all the ideas but seriously... I really cannot believe that up to now we don't know who we are? What is the Antiguan identity?  Can we not decide, plan, get creative with how we present ourselves? Cha man!  :-) Our tourism product needs to wheel and come again...and not just for the Caribbean tourists either. The beach for North American and European visitors is no longer a novelty.  Newsflash!!!....it’s stale.  There are so many beaches to “begin” with, that ours may just get lost among the other beautiful pictures.

I happen to also be a teacher.  When speaking to my students about presenting themselves through a resume and cover letter, I remind them that if they choose to used played out crap (well not in those words..) like "I'm dedicated and willing to perform for the best of the company" that they have just cast themselves on top of the pile of possible rejects because they have presented no unique selling point about themselves.  They've got to look for that unique selling point or points and sell away!

So...after the beach, What??

And by the way...let me not even start on this thing we call "culture".  As far as I'm concerned, they can just close the “Department of Culture” and put out tenders for people with real creativity, talent, organization, and integrity to run it.  

Remember, the Beach is just the beginning....why don’t we add some middle and end to that folks.  Don’t wait for the “technocrats” to do it, Create! Do! Act!  I will, and you can mark my word on that.

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Marcella Andre is talented writer, teacher, radio producer and community activist. If you wish to comment on the above column, feel free to use the facebook comments box below.