Island Holidays Blog

From St Helena

Vince Thompson, Director of the National Trust of St Helena, has got very strong views on tourism.  Whilst not wishing to get involved in the politics of the island, I thought it would be a good idea (with his permission of course) to publish an email which he sent me over the weekend.   Personally I've always been ad advocate of the "quality not quantity" argument and I therefore agree with what follows.

Today [28^th March] two related things started to happen.  First, the Island’s Director of Tourism relayed to members of the St Helena’s Tourism Advisory Committee some information from the Dept. for International Development.  Put briefly, the ‘Destination Development and Marketing Plan for St Helena’ is required now by UK ministers – before the newly appointed and ‘high-powered’ Tourism Commissioner even sets foot on the St Helena.  This situation has all the familiar ingredients of rush, panic and a botched job – a recipe for a waste of time and a waste of money.  Building St Helena’s new airport in relatively easy, in comparison to selling the Island to the ‘right kind of tourist’ and getting St Helena’s  fledgling tourism economy off the ground.

This brings me to the second thing.  Two ships arrived in the harbour yesterday morning; the Antarctic research ship ‘Sir Ernest Shackleton’ and the National Geographic ‘Endeavour’.  The ‘Shackleton’ had only crew and the ‘Endeavour’ about forty passengers.  Despite the low numbers, the crew and passengers from these two ships showed far more interest in St Helena’s natural and built environment and the Island’s history than some of the cruise liners that make a one day call here.  Towards mid-afternoon, the ships visitors came in and out of the National Trust office in droves asking questions, seeking information sources and buying books and photographs. 

A couple of weeks ago, a ‘normal’ cruise liner called at St Helena for a day and about 400 passengers landed at the wharf for a one day visit.  Unfortunately, most passengers on that day did not appear to know where they were in the world.  If the Island had not been on the cruise itinerary, many of its passengers would have very happily have remained blissfully ignorant.

The crux of a ‘Destination Development and Marketing Plan for St Helena’ is effective communication with the specialist tour operators and a particular and special kind of ‘tourist’ – I prefer to use the word ‘visitor’.   St Helena wants to conserve its individuality and way of life.  This is accepted by the

UK

and St Helena Governments.  I just hope the new Tourism Commissioner accepts this too and realises what work has to be done – not just to market the Island successfully, but to attract visitors who know the difference between

San Francisco

Bay

and St Helena’s

Sandy

Bay

.  This is officially termed ‘low volume-high value’ tourism.

In a phrase, St Helena needs as many visitors from tour operators like Island Holidays Plus as the Island receives from the ‘floating holiday camps’.

By the way, the chap who did so much research on the critically endangered Wirebird and who wrote the guide to The Birds of Ascension and St Helena, Dr Neil McCulloch, is leading our next visit to the island in October and we still have space available.  I decided to use a picture of the Wirebird in this blog rather than of Neil - hope he agrees!

 

Happy Easter

I hope you've all had a really happy, if chilly, Easter.   I took yesterday off and had a lovely day.   After church it was a bit of a scramble to get everything ready for friends arriving for a traditional Easter Lamb roast lunch.  There were only 4 of us but you would have thought I was cooking for a regiment what with nibbles before, all the different veg, some roasted and some boiled (to perfection of course), mint sauce, redcurrant jelly, old-fashioned gravy with not a sniff of Bisto and so on.  The guests provided the cheese course and I'd made a scrummy raspberry parfait (Rick Stein recipe).   All washed down by excellent vino.   

Meanwhile, outside, the 7 1/4 inch gauge steam railway was in full swing with enthusiasts having arrived from all over the country.   They were totally undeterred by the odd snow flurry although the public (for whom it was open for one day only) were obvioulsy not quite so hardy!   We had a  spin around the track after lunch - it's a wonderful experience with superb scenery on top of the steam experience.

Now it's back to work in earnest having thoroughly enjoyed my "day of rest" (?!).  Started at 5 o'clock this morning but will need to take a break after lunch and before entertaining some of the steam boys to supper.  There's another snow flurry falling at the moment but nothing serious.  At least at this time of year you know it won't last too long (famous last words!).  I haven't bothered to take the car to the bottom of the hill so watch this space!

Now then.  It's time to do battle with the internet to try to get some cheap flights to Seville, preferably using airmiles.  That's my next trip - meeting up with Fergus Crystal in the south of Extramadura where he's working on Montagu Harrier research.  We're going to put a tour together for next year which will include some involvement in the project.  It will be in March which is a fine time for the flowers and particularly the orchids.   I'll only be there 3 or 4 days but at least it will give me a taste of what is in store for our clients next year.

What a deskful!

That's the trouble with going away.  It's what you come back to.   Now don't get me wrong - it doesn't matter where I've been in the world or what I've seen and done, it's always good to get home.   Right now I'm having difficulty in concentrating on work as there's a dear little Treecreeper feeding on the old oak right close to the office window (the same tree in which the Red Squirrel frolicks from time to time).  I'm blessed to live in such a beautiful spot.  But the trouble is the desk!

Having got home on Friday night and worked pretty well on Saturday (Sunday off except for a couple of hours in the morning) and had a good day yesterday, it's now lunch time on Tuesday and I still haven't read everything that came in, let alone acted on it.   So if you're one of the people drumming fingers and waiting for a reply please be patient - I'm on the case!

Turtles and Satellites

It's our last day on an incredibly hot Ascension Island - we reckon temperatures have been up around 34 degrees in Georgetown, although it's cooler up on Green Mountain.   But, in spite of melting, everyone has really enjoyed their short time on this extraordinary island.

At first sight it seems uninviting but, as you get to know it, you find more and more fascinating features with surprises around every corner.  The night before last we went down with the Turtle Conservation Officer to Long Beach, just a few minutes' walk from town.   We had to wait quite a while for Jackie to find a female turtle which had already started laying her eggs and which we could therefore watch without causing disturbance.  But what a reward.   She creates a deep chamber into which about 100 ping-pong-ball size eggs are laid and then covers it up, disguising its whereabouts by moving forward as she throws back the sand with her flippers.   Then and only then can she return to the sea and start her long journey back to Brazil.   At this time of year the hatchlings, too, are racing to the sea under cover of darkness.

This morning we went down again as dawn broke.  We saw four females returning, and a couple of hatchlings braving attack from the circling Frigatebirds.   It was probably our presence which ensured the little ones made it for, once daylight comes, the birds have the upper hand and the little ones stand very little chance.

So much for turtles, but what of satellites?   Well, with one of our group particularly interested in such things, we arranged for a private visit to the Ariane Satellite Tracking Station, and fascinating it was too.  Quite honestly, I didn't understand much of it but there you are - it was still interesting.

This morning we're heading up to the defunct NASA station which one of my previous clients described as "something out of the Man from U.N.C.L.E." - and most folk over 50 will know what he meant!  The site also affords fantastic views over the Letterbox area where the cat and rat eradication programme has meant that seabirds have returned to nest on the main island of Ascension for the first time for many years.   

Tonight will find us on the RAF flight to Brize Norton where we arrive tomorrow morning.  I'll have been away nearly 4 weeks and in many ways it's gone in a flash.  We've seen and done super things, met some really interesting and fun people and missed out on gales and the like!   But, as always, it will be good to be home - there's nowhere quite like it!

Wirebirds increasing

Here I am on the wonderful island of St Helena - my 4th visit.  We've had a terrific time visiting all the Napoleon sites, being shown around the Governor's residence at Plantation House by the new incumbent's delightful wife, marvelling at the amazing scenery this extraordinary island has to offer and learning about its botany from local experts.

Yesterday we had more expert input from Eddie, who is "Mr Wirebird".  The Wirebird is St Helena's only endemic bird and is critically endangered.  However there's good news in that the number of adult birds is increasing, with some 300 being recorded in the most recent annual census.   We had the most fantastic experience on Deadwood Plain when Eddie showed us a 16-week old chick in the hand (he's licensed to ring and handle birds) and also found the most wonderfully camouflaged nest.  Again, Eddie is able to do this without disturbing the birds which seem to know and trust him.   It's not something to be tried yourself!

We also planted  trees in the Millennium Wood and are generally having a wonderful time.  The Royal Mail Ship sails for Ascension Island tomorrow morning where we'll spend 3 nights before heading home.  Once again this has been a wonderful tour (so far!) and my love of these South Atlantic islands just grows and grows.