Arrogant Antiguan's
A few days ago I was at the sign makers store and had a disquieting conversation with a local Taxi Driver who plies his trade at V.C. Bird International Airport. My conversation with this taxi driver highlights the lack of tourism support and general apathy towards tourism in general in Antigua, by our general public.
To understand my conversation fully I need to fill the non-local in on some facts. At our airport every Saturday there is a mass shortage of Taxis to take our valued tourists to their respective Hotels & Resorts. This situation occurs as many of the Taxi drivers who are granted sole access to arriving passengers in Antigua are Seventh Day Adventists, there is of course, nothing wrong with practicing ones religion. Seventh Day adventists do not work for religious reasons, from sundown Friday to sundown Saturday, this creates a shortage of taxis at the airport from Friday evening until Saturday evening. Because the privileged Airport Taxi association does not want to dilute the total number of taxis at the airport it refuses to add more Taxis for the flight arrivals for Friday night and all Saturday. What the Taxi association prefers, is to require our arriving tourists to jam into taxis three or four couples together, charging I might add, a full taxi fare, for each couple.
My discussion with the local airport taxi person revolved around the fact that I thought it unprofessional for our taxi drivers to expect our arriving tourists, to share a taxi ride, while still paying the fare for a private taxi. My argument was and is, our arriving guests expect a taxi at their service, not a bus ride. To add insult to injury we then ask our arriving guests to pay, full fare, as if they enjoyed a comfortable private taxi ride. I was adamantly trying to explain to him the thoughts, that must go through our arriving passengers minds, as they are shuffled into a bus, after requesting a taxi. I tried to explain this was not customary behavior, throughout the world, his retort was that we were not the rest of the world we were Antigua, where things are done our way not the worlds way. I pointed out that this may be; but if our arriving tourists expect a certain level of service and then they receive another experience altogether, they are then understandably disappointed. Finally to ask the tourist to pay full fare, a rip off in the minds off the traveler, which adds insult, disbelief and anger to the whole situation, is "JUST WRONG"
The more I argued the case about acceptable standards and the expectations of the traveler, even going so far to suggest we call the service a bus service rather then Taxi service, to avoid the misconception, the more he argued that tourists have been coming to our shores for years and no matter what we do they will continue to come. He even mentioned that he had never heard of any complaints. I said that tourists on holiday, are not here to argue with a taxi driver, they are here to enjoy a relaxing trouble experience, they way they complain is by choosing to visit a different island on their next trip to the Caribbean. It is this kind of attitude, which is somewhat pervasive throughout our Island, that has the potential to kill our main source of income, not only for the taxi driver but for all of us.
Just to be fare to ourselves, I think our problem is not malice but ignorance. To give you an example several years ago I was fortunate enough to hear a Mr. Vanderpool from the Bahamas speak in Antigua about the Bahama's tourism experience. During his speech he mentioned that one thing their islands did to improve the overall tourist product was to educate the population, to the importance of Tourism, on their nations economy. One of the stories he tells to highlight, the education problem and process, was that their Island's advertising slogan was sending the wrong message to the general population. You may remember the slogan from years ago "It's Better In the Bahama's" well when the local population was surveyed they found that the locals thought, because they were told to think, if " It's Better In the Bahama's" why should I, a local, make an effort ? it is already "Better In the Bahamas" . One of the first things the Bahama Tourist authority did was change their line to "The Bahamas it just Keeps Getting better" to signify that constant work is needed to provide a superior vacation experience. After the new ad campaign was implemented, along with other efforts of course, the Bahamas saw a marked change in the attitudes of the local population and of course an increase in tourist satisfaction with the holiday experience.
It is this kind of education that we here in Antigua need to implement. No matter what one feels, think or believes, Tourism is Antigua's only engine of growth, without the engine, the car don't run. Wake Up Antigua!
To understand my conversation fully I need to fill the non-local in on some facts. At our airport every Saturday there is a mass shortage of Taxis to take our valued tourists to their respective Hotels & Resorts. This situation occurs as many of the Taxi drivers who are granted sole access to arriving passengers in Antigua are Seventh Day Adventists, there is of course, nothing wrong with practicing ones religion. Seventh Day adventists do not work for religious reasons, from sundown Friday to sundown Saturday, this creates a shortage of taxis at the airport from Friday evening until Saturday evening. Because the privileged Airport Taxi association does not want to dilute the total number of taxis at the airport it refuses to add more Taxis for the flight arrivals for Friday night and all Saturday. What the Taxi association prefers, is to require our arriving tourists to jam into taxis three or four couples together, charging I might add, a full taxi fare, for each couple.
My discussion with the local airport taxi person revolved around the fact that I thought it unprofessional for our taxi drivers to expect our arriving tourists, to share a taxi ride, while still paying the fare for a private taxi. My argument was and is, our arriving guests expect a taxi at their service, not a bus ride. To add insult to injury we then ask our arriving guests to pay, full fare, as if they enjoyed a comfortable private taxi ride. I was adamantly trying to explain to him the thoughts, that must go through our arriving passengers minds, as they are shuffled into a bus, after requesting a taxi. I tried to explain this was not customary behavior, throughout the world, his retort was that we were not the rest of the world we were Antigua, where things are done our way not the worlds way. I pointed out that this may be; but if our arriving tourists expect a certain level of service and then they receive another experience altogether, they are then understandably disappointed. Finally to ask the tourist to pay full fare, a rip off in the minds off the traveler, which adds insult, disbelief and anger to the whole situation, is "JUST WRONG"
The more I argued the case about acceptable standards and the expectations of the traveler, even going so far to suggest we call the service a bus service rather then Taxi service, to avoid the misconception, the more he argued that tourists have been coming to our shores for years and no matter what we do they will continue to come. He even mentioned that he had never heard of any complaints. I said that tourists on holiday, are not here to argue with a taxi driver, they are here to enjoy a relaxing trouble experience, they way they complain is by choosing to visit a different island on their next trip to the Caribbean. It is this kind of attitude, which is somewhat pervasive throughout our Island, that has the potential to kill our main source of income, not only for the taxi driver but for all of us.
Just to be fare to ourselves, I think our problem is not malice but ignorance. To give you an example several years ago I was fortunate enough to hear a Mr. Vanderpool from the Bahamas speak in Antigua about the Bahama's tourism experience. During his speech he mentioned that one thing their islands did to improve the overall tourist product was to educate the population, to the importance of Tourism, on their nations economy. One of the stories he tells to highlight, the education problem and process, was that their Island's advertising slogan was sending the wrong message to the general population. You may remember the slogan from years ago "It's Better In the Bahama's" well when the local population was surveyed they found that the locals thought, because they were told to think, if " It's Better In the Bahama's" why should I, a local, make an effort ? it is already "Better In the Bahamas" . One of the first things the Bahama Tourist authority did was change their line to "The Bahamas it just Keeps Getting better" to signify that constant work is needed to provide a superior vacation experience. After the new ad campaign was implemented, along with other efforts of course, the Bahamas saw a marked change in the attitudes of the local population and of course an increase in tourist satisfaction with the holiday experience.
It is this kind of education that we here in Antigua need to implement. No matter what one feels, think or believes, Tourism is Antigua's only engine of growth, without the engine, the car don't run. Wake Up Antigua!
What Chris says,
a tru, a tru...
I believe it has two primary factors:
The first I'll call the "Mill Reef Effect":
Back in the 50's and early 60's (I have a bit of history in Antigua), Antigua had the only International airport in the area. And since, back then, only the rich could afford airline travel, the rich (who went to Long Bay and Curtain Bluff) and the Super rich (who built houses at Mill Reef) were the only foreigners Antiguans ever met.
Antiguans, thus formed their opinions of North Americans and Western Europeans based on this small and not at all representitive sample. They behaved accordingly, and the ones who played it sucessfully, made out quite well.
Unfortunately for Antigua, without a corrupt government, it's easy to build a landing strip.
So now, Antigua has to compete with islands like St. Barts and Anguilla which not only have landing strips, but also a population with a positive attitude towards tourism (the saying on Antigua is that they moved the plantation from the field to the beach).
This was compounded by the myth that Antigua "won" its independence from the UK, when in truth, it was simply kicked out of the UK by being more trouble than it was worth.
The second factor is:
The zero-sum gain attitude.
To an Antiguan, if an outsider makes money, an Antiguan must be loosing.
Chris's dad (may he rest in peace) said it best: If you want to be sucessful in Antigua, don't be too sucessful.
The social, political and legal system is specifically rigged against achievement. Maybe its the residual stain of slavery, but the average Antiguan views success as an affront to all they stand (OK, lie down and fall asleep) for.
Having achieved such insight, you're entitled to ask: So what do you think should Antigua do??
If I had the answer, I'd still be living there. (although selling the island to Steve Jobs or Bill Gates before Sum Young Moon snatches it up seems like a good idea).
And Chris, I hear you and Dave are doing great things over at Long Bay and are fighting the good fight, I wish both of you, and Jackie the best.
The Central Scrutanizer....
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i have been to antigua many times throughout my childhood and i do believe this is true. dude.
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