The Tourism Division recently hosted the President of the St John’s Taxi Association in Antigua, Patrick Burnette, where he shared insights into the operations of his Association at Heritage Quay. A lively and engaging interactive discussion followed with members of the local umbrella body for tour and taxi services, says a release from the division.
The St John’s Taxi Association is the official body for providing transportation and tours for cruise passengers disembarking in Antigua and has 200 members. “The objective of this meeting was to facilitate an exchange of ideas between our neighbouring associations, while exposing the members of the Montserrat Tour & Taxi Association to the structured and regulated approach employed by their counterparts in Antigua,” said Director of Tourism, Mr Warren Solomon.
Mr Burnette highlighted the following key points that have led to the successful operations of his association:
- Professional standards
- The need for all association members to present a united front
- Taxi Dispatch System
- Uniformed appearance of all drivers and tour guides
- Consistent training
- Service excellence
- Observation of rules and regulations of the association by all members
- Collaboration between all stakeholders, namely the Taxi Association, Port Authority, Tourism Office, Police and Transport Board
He acknowledged that the level of the discussions was positive, and that there was a genuine desire on the part of the Montserrat team to get a better understanding of the way the system works in Antigua.
“One of the strategic areas of focus in our Tourism Strategy is to deliver exceptional experiences to exceed the expectations of visitors to Montserrat,” remarked the Tourism Director. He continued, “The St John’s Taxi Association is a self-regulated body and ensures that everything is in sync in order to manage the transportation needs of 5000-10,000 cruise visitors who have disembarked on the island on any given day.
Each member understands that he or she is an ambassador for Antigua and that is reflected in the interaction with their customers.” He concluded, “The Tourism Division will continue to expose all local stakeholders to industry best practices, complemented by appropriate training, to ensure that our service delivery is on point.”
