BVI hosts familiarisation trips for int’l journalists, travel advisors
Local tourism industry stakeholders have been partnering with institutions in North America and the United Kingdom to bring travel advisors, journalists, and social media influencers on familiarisation trips to the BVI to see first-hand that the territory remains a prime leisure and sailing destination.
Speaking at a press conference on Friday, Premier and Tourism Minister Dr Natalio Wheatley said since the territory’s tourism sector reopened in December 2020, the Virgin Islands have welcomed 15 journalists representing more than 14 publications including Travel + Leisure, Coastal Living, USA Today, Travel Pulse, Harper’s Bazar, Telegraph Travel, The Daily Telegraph and Forbes Magazine. It addition to those there are also more than 15 travel advisors.
“Our teams in collaboration with our tourism industry partners (TIPs) have attended dive shows, boat shows, wedding and honeymoon shows and shows for the meetings, incentives, conventions, and events (MICE); most notably, the Progressive New England Boat Show; the New York Times Travel Adventure Shows in Chicago, Washington DC, and New York and most recently, the 2022 Miami International Boat Show,” Dr Wheatley said.
“Additionally, our teams have hosted travel agent training, destination presentations and social events in their respective regions; all to drum up business for the Virgin Islands. It is fair to say that the work of our teams in collaboration with TIPs has contributed immensely to the quick rebound of the BVI tourism industry,” the Tourism Minister added.
He noted that validation of the BVI being a top travel destination does not only come from journalists and travel agents but is also seen in many accolades through which the Virgin Islands has received special recognition.
“Just to name a few of these accolades: USA Today 10 Best Readers’ Choice Awards 2022, recognised the iconic Soggy Dollar Bar and Hendo’s Hideout in Jost Van Dyke as the second and third top Caribbean beach bars, respectively. The landmark Baths National Park on Virgin Gorda was number seven in the Best Caribbean Attraction category, and Callwood’s Rum Distillery in Cane Garden Bay took eighth place for the Best Caribbean Rum Distillery,” Dr Wheatley said.
“U.S. News & World Report has named the BVI the number one Best Place to Visit in the Caribbean for three consecutive years and Number Two in 2021-2022. Our loyal visitors will have an opportunity to name the BVI as the best ‘Country’ or ‘Island’ at the upcoming Condé Nast Traveler 2022 U.S and U.K. Readers’ Choice Awards. Individual Tourism Industry Partners are annually nominated among the top Hotels & Resorts”, the Premier continued.
The Tourism Minister highlighted that last year, two of the top resorts were voted in the top 40 Caribbean Resorts with the legendary Rosewood Little Dix Bay taking the top prize.
“The BVI Tourist Board has been proceeding with great enthusiasm to market Destination BVI using attractive and appealing imagery, and innovative competitions aimed at enticing prospective guests to travel to the territory,” he said.
Meanwhile, the BVITB recently completed a destination photoshoot, which is expected to produce fresh and appealing new imagery that targets younger US and European travellers.
“On the culmination of the marketing campaign, ‘Something to Celebrate’, the BVITB launched a competition that yielded 13,473 entries. This competition was a celebration of BVI ambassadors through a series of interviews entitled, ‘BVI Celebration Ambassadors’,” Dr Wheatley said.
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Why is the tourist board and the Gov all referring to the non existent BVI. This is the VI. You not respecting you own constitution. Why that? One minute constitution important next minute not.
Why? Because the Territory is the British Virgin Islands not the Virgin Islands. Get the British part, mon? The Territory is not autonomous, no self rule and soon to be governed by the Brits. In the last 100 years you have accomplished nothing but create a drug infested criminal enterprise. You can’t even feed yourselves or handle the simple of medical issues without seeking outside help and goods. You don’t deserve this beautiful land and soon you will be put back in your place.
This place have so much potential… not depending on one area for money and killing the poor with the strain to pay for it like making people pay tax again on their own money that they paid tax for already to send western union and money gram, including immigration and labour.
That Tax should be named the Andrew Fahie Tax. That was his baby. Total red eye and greed. The 7% Tax on out going money transfer.
All typical BVI. Spend a set of money to try and impress people that don’t do nothing for them, meanwhile the actual inhabitants of the land that carry the actual load of transforming the place into some where worth visiting goes overlooked.
More Power to the BVI. We will be ok. Trust me on that!!
I made a visit to the Callwood’s distillery a few years ago, if it is the 8th best Caribbean distillery I do not want to see what the others look like. The place is a dump.
Yes I totally agree the Callwood Distillery is a complete dump, & it is embarrasing that tourists want to visit there.
But who said Callwood Distillery was #8? I’ve just Googled the top 10 distilleries in the Caribbean & (no surprise!) Callwoods was not mentioned.
See: https://www.beach.com/food-and-drink/best-rum-distilleries-caribbean/
INTENTIONAL ATTENTION, HUH?
May 16, 2022
By Tafari Zharr
I grew up hearing my father improvise on his instrument, and this song has never left my head: “Come Back To The Virgin Islands”, he said he had played it with Bill La Motta back in the day in St. Croix; everybody recall musical artists like “The Gun” with his Scratch/Fungi Bank, fanatically going at it. Some people are hard to forget, some places are harder to leave, and the hardest thing to do is give up roots. Once you put roots down in the VI, “yah done”. I say that to say, even the dialect is unique. Offer your guest a glass of water and if they decline escort them out.
As I was saying, there is a level of “infatuation” that becomes devotion; one senses a loyalty that is a keen to a once admired relationship and you wondered how the hell the lovely couple could still dance with such sultry, soulful, organic, exotic, moves; that’s what the BVI does with its intoxicating ambiance. But don’t let the atmosphere like, BVILOVE, fool you. Is all I am saying. But that was earlier and this is now. Does the BVI need Intentional Attention, right now? Maybe, but I am leaning towards a cultural No. The BVI is having social and political growing pains.
As well as, this “news-obsession” is here – ain’t nothing we can do about it. But before y’all blabber and sell out or selloff the place lets first be proud that the BVI have long been a place that people choose. It’s been the Rusty love of the lovers who chose to fall for it. It’s been the soft, slow, steady love song that first loves never forget; It’s the gift that keeps on giving in its undulating rise and fall of a “province” that keeps having to prove itself to the rest of the Caribbean, the World, and to its peers and parents- the UK that it can either stand on its own two feet or be forced to grow up; and hopefully one day soon accept that when earthquakes come even where there should be none that shakeups ensue. BVI people will find a way to survive; that’s inherently the thing BVI is made of.
Like Summer, the transnational migration trend is coming: Fresh and clear as the song, suggests, “they come not to America, but to the Virgin Isles. This BVILOVE – a vibe, a mindset, no doubt may or may not meet a visitor’s expectation – but one day we will be that painted province that is as picturesque a place set beneath the rolling green hills nested into the landscape of “treasured “islands where the skirts are white and the frills are blue; as in my own retrospection.
Yes, and You too see it , don’t you?
Lawd some Journalists, are “mettae”, but the heart of the people beat with every story after story – nothing new here. What’s new is BVI not washing their dirty clothes. Please, At least, drop your clothes off to the laundromat. Quizas, Quizas, Quizas! Air out your houses: In any order, put out your trash out, Sweep your floors, Shine your cutlery. Only After that can you consider inviting anyone to break bread with you,
So what will the table talk be like? Really! Segue, we not going to get pass airing out our dirty laundry? We just going act like the laundry not piling up, the washer not broken, and the power not off! BVILOVE should start with cleaning up home, and after home is good, then we invite guests for Fish and Johnny Cake, Coconut Water and Cane Rum; some Fungi Music, Peas and Rice, Whelks, and remembering to send them home packing fast with Tart and Guava Berry, okay!
The BVI I LOVE- let’s say I’m having a difficult time with the integrity model that only suggests romanticism of an idyllic place but falling short of a paradise; particulary when I’m hearing the cries from the bellies of babes (loyalists of District One) I get the discomfort of this bellyache that’s overbearing; this harrowing enigma of loathing associated, for me, with a “controversial” BVI’s tourism slogan; albeit, aggregated by the newly ousted premier whose initials are synonymous with Affectionate Fiasco not limited to contradiction, conspiracy, corruption, crime, and culture. Wait a minute, Neither is AF the first politician to face investigation nor will he be the last. But love your politician or not, the people need their province, the Queen’s men have to deliver: Good Exposure For The Territory Is Good; but it’s not a good time; So, What!
So, What? BVI reeks and spews of rancor, is rancid, and the territory has no other choice but to play this game of chess with the UK to get around or out of the mess. It’s a game of chess where the autonomy is left in check by the Sovereign of State, love don’t hate. because the only game in town is to be checked by the United Kingdom. Adding insult to injury, an alleged stalemate remains restricted, removed, whilst renamed into US custody, withal, one illustrious, district and neighborhood leaders, are allegedly, unbecoming, lack-lustrous, and loosing face. Elected official with images settled in stained-mirrored frames as if poorly photoshopped. Still flooding the airwaves are countless reports of legacies and retirements rescinded; reputations reduced amidst rescissions; and redundancies reaching displeasing regret.
Will journalists conflate those apologies into a Shakespearean tragedy. Just Be careful who you let in your house, unless you are apologies and remorse, offering up compassion for the common people and the constituents . Please be intentional and give the people some real attention, not the journalists, although I would give anything to be the fly on the wall.
Keep Your Head Up because Ain’t No Mountain High Enough To Keep the media Away From You.
Journalists, et al., Welcome to the BVI! Enjoy Your Stay!
Ed Leonard
36m ·
Colonial/Imperial Power Domination—-Virgin Islands
(VI)
The fate of empire, countries, etc, is to rise and fall and all civilizations/empires, countries, territories, etc,have suffered this fate.
As such, the Virgin Islands (VI) (British) is facing some governing challenges and it is not if but when the UK, a dominant power, will suspend the dependency mode constitution of the VI, a weaker power, and substitute direct rule. Incidentally, the VI has been under the UK’s direct colonial rule since 1672.
Historically, colonialism/imperialism (from the Latin word imperium meaning power to command) entailed a superior country controlling and overpowering a weaker country often by force and exploiting its land, labour and natural resources.
And by 1914, Great Britain and other major European powers had a large percentage of the world’s land surface and people under their domination. It was a situation of might is right, i.e., the powerful felt it had the right to subdue the weak.
Moreover, colonialism/imperialism was as Rudyard Kipling British imperial poet stated in his 1899 poem, “The White Man’s Burden.”
It was not a burden but the opportunity for colonials to exploit people and land well beyond their borders for their benefits.
Further, British statesman Lord Palmerston paraphrasing stated it was a duty not to enslave but to free. Hogwash!!!
The attitude was that colonial/imperial power was the natural order for the strong to rule the weak. It was a patronizing attitude and behaviour.
The results of WWII perhaps started the decline of British Empire. Many of its larger colonies, including some in the West Indies, were decolonized and attained independences.
Most, especially in the West Indies, are still struggling from the legacies of slavery and colonialism. They have yet to receive any reparative justice for the centuries of dehumanization, pain and suffering, brutality, rape, labour exploitation among other atrocities inflicted on their sons and daughters.
Moreover, a few small dots in the Caribbean still remain under the UK’s colonial control, including Anguilla, Bermuda, Cayman Islands, Montserrat, Turks and Caicos and the Virgin Islands.
In these remaining Anglo-Caribbean Overseas Territories, there is an order of magnitude of unequally power between the UK and its Overseas Territories.
The UK is the dominant power. Though the territories may be listed as self-governing. In practice, they are not, for the UK still has the major decision-making and unilateral power over them.
The UK has the power to impose its will on the territories but the territories have no recourse for redressing issues of concerns. There is no independent process; the process is too inbred.
For example, it is highly likely that the VI’s constitution will be suspended and direct rule imposed, resulting in over 30,000 people being thrust back into colonialism, lose the blessings of Democratic their rights, freedoms, justice, equality, etc, and set back the self-governing pursuit decades, yet the people have no say.
It is like modern day enslavement in the 21st Century. It is might is right. .
Moreover, though some of the VI challenges are rooted in colonialism, Virgin Islanders handicap themselves by lack of unity and disdain of participating in mass to peacefully agitate, protest, and advocate for their democratic rights and freedoms.
Fredrick Douglass (1857) says, ‘No struggle, No progress.’ Progress does not come cheap; sacrifice is required. The Theodolph Faulkner-led Great March of 24 November 1949 required struggle and sacrifice. The Noel Lloyd and Positive Action Movement protest in 1968 required much struggle and personal sacrifices. The Christopher Fleming led insurrection of 1890 required struggle and sacrifice; most of the participants were jailed.