Mélange Travel & Lifestyle Magazine January 2019 | Page 410
MONTSERRAT
Montserrat is a British Overseas Territory
INTERVIEW
with Mrs. Rosetta West-Gerald
Product Development Officer, Montserrat Tourism Division
What is Montserrat’s
Tourism Brand?
Montserrat’s Tourism Brand
is that of a private hideaway,
authentic, peaceful , safe
and unhurried with luxury
affordable accommodation.
The logo portrays the
shamrock, one of our
national symbols, in a mix of
vibrant colours, reminiscent
of the island from the bright
blue of the sky and deep blue
of the sea, to the emerald
green of our mountains to
the vibrant orange of the
sunset. This is coupled with
our tagline “Come, we have
time for you.”
What are your island’s
unique selling points?
Montserrat’s Unique Selling
Points include the island’s
Soufriere Hills Volcano which
resulted in our buried city of
Plymouth …a ‘Modern Day
Pompeii;’ our verdant forests,
friendly people, seclusion
and safety. Montserrat also
boasts a number of world
class hiking trails, birding
and good diving, alongside
our ever-popular St. Patrick’s
Festival.
What key elements of
your country would you
say is most attractive to
visitors? The most attractive
elements of Montserrat
for visitors are the buried
city of Plymouth to which
tours are conducted. Here,
visitors are able to witness
a town literally frozen in
time. They are able to walk
on buildings and other areas
that are buried more than
30ft deep in some cases
– truly amazing! Another
attractive element is the
island’s St. Patrick’s Festival
which is held over 10 days in
March. In 2019 the Festival
will be from 8th to 18th
March. This Event is packed
with a unique blend of
activities which showcases
our Afro-Irish Heritage to
include pub crawl, slave
feast, parade, pageant and
much more activities. It is
also at this time that persons
would be decked out in
green, symbolizing our Irish
Heritage or in African print,
symbolizing our African
Heritage. Montserrat is the
only island outside of Ireland
which has St. Patrick’s Day,
March 17th, as a National
Holiday.
What are some of the
niche activities and
events Montserrat offers
to its visitors. Niche
activities that are being
offered include volcano
viewing, hiking, birding,
diving, festivals including the
St. Patrick’s Festival.
How has your country’s
tourism focus evolved
over the years?
Montserrat’s tourism product
has always been nature-
based due to the island’s
topography and verdure,
this has not changed much.
Prior to the volcano which