Visitors to the Opening Day of the Grand Pavois boat show in La Rochelle, France were keen to find out how to get to the volcano affected island for a possible visit and even investment.

"People have been constantly asking about the recovery process and about flights into the country, especially how to get from (the French speaking) Guadeloupe to Montserrat," said Ishwar Persad of the Montserrat Tourist Board, one of the island's two representatives at the event. Mr. Persad is sharing duties with Ms Celistine Cassell.

Montserrat and its fellow OECS Member Countries are staging a joint presentation at the boat show, one of the three largest in the world, under the theme " Many Islands One Sea". The OECS Secretariat is coordinating the joint mission and expect increased visitor arrivals from yachts people and revenue earning from the sector.

Montserrat has already earmarked lands for development of a marina and golf course, with other ancillary facilities such as villas and restaurants. The delegation is hoping to attract investors for this project.

The delegation says potential investors have inquired about utilising the ample volcanic ash into a variety of products including tiles, slate and roofing materials. Montserrat is already into production from volcanic ash for export.

The Grand Pavois boat show runs from September 7th to 12th.