IN NEW YORK ANGUILLA OPENS FIRST NATIONAL TOURIST OFFICE

The Ministry of Tourism and the Anguilla Tourist Board has retained Mrs. Marie Walker of Turnstyle Marketing to establish their first national tourist office in the United States. Mrs. Walker assumed the position of Regional Director of Anguilla Tourist Board effective December 1, 2003.

In making the announcement, John Benjamin, Chairman of the Anguilla Tourist Board stated, "a new strategy of establishing a sales team covering key states, coupled with intensive public relations activities and well-placed advertising is in development for the United States."

Mrs. Walker brings to her post a wealth of marketing and tourism communications experience. During her tenure with the Jamaica Tourist Board she held several positions including Marketing Representative for the U.S. Mid-Atlantic region and Advertising Manager for North America. She is the proud recipient of several prestigious industry awards, among them the coveted Caribbean Tourism Organization Allied Members "Jerry" award given by American Express Publishing and New York Magazine; the American Marketing Associations "Silver Effie" for Advertising Effectiveness; and Jamaica's Consul General of New York "Point's of Light" for her outstanding service in the Jamaican community. She currently sits on the Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO) Planning Committee and chaired the University of the West Indies Capital Fund Auction in New York.

"It's all about growing our share of the market," said Amelia Vanterpool Kubisch, Anguilla Tourist Board's Director of Tourism. "We're extremely pleased to be able to entice some of the Caribbean's top marketers into our organization as we move towards strengthening our occupancy levels in 2005/2006. Anguilla has continued to enjoy a high repeat level of business and attracts a very upscale clientele. As we launch new plans, we will expand and strengthen our efforts in more diverse markets to attract a greater cross-section of the U.S. market."

Whilst welcoming Mrs. Walker, the Anguilla Tourist Board also expressed its appreciation to Mrs. Kas Vaughn for her committed contributions to the growth of Anguilla's inbound tourism arrivals over the years.

For more information on Anguilla, Marie Walker can be reached at Tel: 914 668 2854; Fax: 914 668 2855 or email: [email protected] or [email protected].