Caribbean island says no to cruise ships

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Tourism officials in Anguilla in the Caribbean have said they don’t want cruise tourism on the stunning island. Bosses said the “environmental impact” wasn’t worth it.

Haydn Hughes, Minister of Tourism in Anguilla, said: “It’s not even debatable that cruise does have a negative impact on the overall environment.

“You have to weigh what you would benefit out of a cruise and what will be the drawbacks.”

Hughes added that Anguilla is positioning itself as a high-end holiday destination which wouldn’t align with cruise tourism.

Cruise tourists sometimes don’t spend much money in the places they visit as they eat and shop onboard.

Hughes said that even on islands where cruise tourists spend the most, the average spend is $172 (£149) per passenger. 

He said that other tourists tend to spend more money in Anguilla and that the industry benefits a wide range of people. 

Hughes told reporters: “In some instances, especially in the festive season, you can have villas and some of the hotels can command $25,000 (£21,000) a night for a room, with 20 percent tax.

“And those persons dine around, they go to the different restaurants and use all of the services in Anguilla.

“And it’s a destination where wherever you see on television, whoever you see in the NFL, in the NBA, you see them on the streets of Anguilla enjoying Anguilla, just like everybody else and that is where you want to position yourself.”

The minister said that bringing 100,000 passengers to Anguilla on cruise ships would water down the island’s tourism offering.

He said that Anguilla wants to make sure its people are the biggest beneficiaries from the cruise industry.

Anguilla consists of a small main island and several offshores isles and is known as a luxury tourism destination.

The island boasts stunning whitesand beaches and has protected areas including wildlife conservation sites. 

Anguilla also has a ban on high-rise hotels and casinos which has helped to preserve its culture and heritage. 

The island’s secluded nature attracts plenty of celebrity tourists and both Justin Timberlake and Liam Neeson have holidayed there. 

Beyonce and Jay-Z travelled to the island when they first started dating while Denzel Washington is a regular visitor.

Other Caribbean islands have embraced the cruise industry and the region is one of the world’s most popular destinations. 

The majority of Caribbean cruises will visit Nassau in the Bahamas, Falmouth in Jamaica and Grand Turk in Turks and Caicos. 

Some cruise lines even have their own Caribbean private beaches where guests can unwind and relax. 

Cruise tourism remains a controversial practice with other destinations including Venice and Marseille calling for restrictions.

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