Brandywine Bay development to diversify VI’s tourism offer
Premier Dr Natalio Wheatley has outlined plans for a phased development at Brandywine Bay as part of efforts to diversify the Virgin Islands’ tourism product and ease pressure on popular beaches.
Addressing residents at a district meeting, the Premier said the territory recorded a “record year for tourism” in 2025, welcoming approximately 1.2 million visitors, including more than 800,000 cruise passengers.
“One thing that we’ve identified is that for our tourism product to not become degraded by having overcrowding in places like Cane Garden Bay, having overcrowding in places like the Baths, we have to be able to diversify the types of places that our cruise passengers can go,” the Premier stated.
He described Brandywine Bay as “a real gem” that “has been sitting there for many, many years” and said, “it’s time to move that project forward”.
Permanent Secretary Ronald Smith-Berkeley provided details of the proposal, noting that some of the land initially thought to be government-owned is not, and that boundary clarification is ongoing.
Smith-Berkeley raised environmental concerns about past alterations to the area, particularly the filling of ponds behind the beach. “Somebody in their wisdom started filling in the pond that’s in this area. That’s generally a bad idea,” he said, explaining that the pond helps trap silt and protect the bay. “In my personal view, it will need to be reestablished, otherwise it’s going to mess up the beach,” he added.
The first phase of development would include refurbishing existing facilities, constructing a restaurant and installing kiosks along the length of the beach. “The idea is to have maybe about 12 or however many can comfortably fit, 10 by 10 or maybe 12 by 12 kiosks, similar to the ones at the Pier Park, connected by a boardwalk in the front of it,” he stated.
He noted that Brandywine Bay is not primarily suited for swimming due to seagrass, but that this supports sand retention. “Maybe kayaking and those kinds of other water sports, snorkelling, and the like would be very good types of activities for this area,” he said.
Smith-Berkeley said the first phase could be completed by the next tourist season “if all goes well”. He added that further meetings would address cost implications and timelines, with additional information expected in the coming weeks.
The Premier explained that the initiative forms part of a broader strategy to expand visitor options, create sustainable livelihoods for vendors and protect the territory’s natural assets while managing record tourism arrivals.
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Desperate Natalio coming up with all kinds of our in the sky projects now. He did nothing in his district for years and now on the eve of election he coming with this story. I hope the people vote him out! He is big disappointment.
Like most of Tortola, the place has become a dumpsite and no tourist will go there.
Snorkeling over sea grass you see a lot more than snorkeling over sand . You will get many types of fish and turtles . You just have to build little finger piers to get out into water that is about 3to 4 ft deep. A sandy bottom like Cane garden gets the water all murky as people stir up the sand and you can’t see anything . Sea grass bottom stays clear see stuff . It’s a good idea . Just properly advertise what you are selling , snorkeling not playing in sand .
Exactly! They just need to market activities properly and this will be a success. The snorkeling in BVI is amazing when you a rent staring at sand.
…wasn’t this Picko’s idea?
It was Picko’s idea but remember Picko is essentially in the Wheatley administration now. These guy want to end their political career on a posiive note and understand that it is the best avenue to do that by accepting a role in the administration.Picko has alot to offr and he cares about the Territory despite what people might think.
How will twelve kiosks contribute to a visitor’s idyllic vision of the Virgin Islands?
To my mind it’s short-sighted destruction of the visual environment, just as filling in the ponds was short-sighted destruction to the physical environment.
And all for the sake of the cruise ship dollar.
Can’t even come up with his own original bad idea!
Snowballs chance in hell taxi drivers will settle for the little fare to Brandywine.
Tourism product has suffered from too many ships daily. Infrastructure can’t handle it, beach experience is crap, greedy vendor on beach harassing tourist to buy drink or chair. No where for locals to enjoy their beach
Maybe. The idea is. Ongoing. Nothing concrete and no real plan!
Paul Wattley had a vision for that Bay!
We lost a good man when Paul left us to soon.
Wow! Gonna dig up a dead horse just to beat it some more? Please remind us how much was spent to refurbish and upgrade this area last time we thought this was a good idea! Just clean that ghetto area up and keep it clean, leave it as natural as possible and make it a place that the overfed and nearly dead cruiseshippers don’t want to go to, leave it for people looking for an old school true BVI experience.
they let the bay get so run down look over in the corner were events used to be held over grown bushes garbage pile up old cars is a disgrace…
now they want to develop it…when ndp was goin to do it, it was a bad idea now hahah
virgin islands open ur eyes…election coming all kind of projects going start then get put on the bench…
still no water.. still no farm…still no fisheries.. still bad roads…still poor education…still no horse track…still no laws for real power sports a real tourist gem
It’s a Hot beach. No swimming, no people. Needs sand
Brandywine Bay is the perfect location for swim with the dolphins
So all that sand pumping for what years back?
no more private islands to sell so Virgin, RC, Disney can lease/purchase and operate their own beach club?
Romasco pretty much take over cruise business to Jost. Leave crumbs for locals. Beach venue, water taxi/ferry, their own safaris/buses. Locals get crumbs, good paying tourists have hard time getting taxi.
Disney has been trying to lease it for 99 years. We stopped it before but there’s rumors that the premiere is signing with them next week . We hurt!!
The answer is in his numbers. Of the 1,200,000 visitors, 800,000 are cruise ship passengers. If we limit that to 400,000 and encourage overnight guests who spend more person, we retain revenue and reduce the strain on resources.
What is this administration’s obsession with starting new projects of no priority whatsoever, while related existing projects have not made any worthy progress? Have they completed the Long Bay Beef Island development that was approved? How about the staple cruise destination of Cane Garden Bay. It looks like a dump, especially when it rains. Nasty, muddy puddles everywhere. Parking limited to the road side and a bushy, undeveloped plot of land in the sand. Do our representatives travel outside of these unnecessary business trips to see what is normal in other destinations? I am just so tired of the incompetence.
Looking at cruise schedule, seeing 5-6000 almost daily and there is an upcoming day of almost 13,000!! The madness has to stop. Destroying the tourism product for a few dollars for govt and that shipping agent company. Crumbs for local businesses, poor experience for tourists. Sad state of affairs.