BVI is back! Tourism arrivals hit record levels in 2025
Tourism arrivals to the Virgin Islands climbed to their highest level on record in 2025, with total visitor numbers surpassing both last year’s figures and the pre-hurricane benchmark of 2016, according to data presented in the House of Assembly.
Delivering a statement on tourism, Premier Dr Natalio Wheatley reported that total visitor arrivals for 2025 stood at 1,202,008, marking what he described as a decisive milestone for the sector and the wider economy. “That is a new record for arrivals,” the Premier stated.
The figure represents a 10 percent increase over 2024 and a 6.9 percent rise compared with 2016, the last full year before the territory was impacted by major hurricanes. According to the Premier, the data confirms that the Virgin Islands has not only returned to pre-hurricane levels but has now exceeded them.
Cruise tourism accounted for the largest share of arrivals. In 2025, cruise passenger numbers reached 875,127, reflecting a 13.9 percent increase over the previous year. The Premier said this performance underscored the territory’s continued competitiveness within regional cruise itineraries. “That too is a record for cruise arrivals,” he added.
Overnight tourism, while more stable year-on-year, remained a critical pillar of the industry. Overnight arrivals totalled approximately 302,828 visitors in 2025, with the Premier noting that comparisons with 2024 showed relative stability rather than sharp growth. He said this segment was particularly significant because of its broader economic impact across the territory.
“Overnight visitors are supporting our hotels, villas, marine services, restaurants, transportation providers, cultural practitioners, and small businesses across our islands,” Premier Wheatley said.
Taken together, the figures point to what the Premier described as a sustained and strategic recovery. Cruise tourism continued to perform strongly, while overnight tourism showed steady confidence in the Virgin Islands as a destination for longer stays and deeper engagement.
Building on this momentum, the government is advancing work on a National Tourism Policy, which is expected to be released for public awareness and comment, alongside the development of a National Tourism Strategy to translate policy objectives into concrete actions.
The Premier said these initiatives, combined with Cabinet decisions on priority assets such as the Prospect Reef Resort, were intended to move the sector from recovery into structured growth.
“Last year represents the highest total number of visitors frequenting the Virgin Islands,” Wheatley stated.
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The majority of the tourist are cruise ship passengers. Over 900,000 of them. They don’t spend any money. Ask the businesses in town what they make. We are not attracting the right quality ships. Calling numbers out without the effect on the ground is worthless.
Administrations don’t measure success by what the tourists spend on the ground(they pretty much dnt care for that part). They measure by head tax lol..
which include cyber cruise; dirty-wine party on the beach in brandywine bay beach etc. etc. yeah we jamming
Ship quality is not the issue here.
How about we give tourists something to actually be interested in to spend money on and stop thinking that they are the issue?
How long are we going to depend on just our beaches to attract them? Everytime a cruise is in, you see countless passengers walking through town completely lost with nothing to do but walk to the Governor’s house and back to the ship.
Where is the entertainment?
Why isn’t the park being utilized to house vendors that will sell different cuisines & cocktails?
Why aren’t the restaurants and bars apart from Pussers pushing advertisements with drink specials featuring the BVI Gin?
Why aren’t our local artists being given platforms all around town and surrounding areas to showcase their talent?
Why we gotta wait for an event for there to be dancing in Road Town on a normal cruise day?
Craft Alive is a waste of space & has been. Let’s be real. How much money truly is spent there from cruise passengers? MINIMUM. On top of that, the vendors there aren’t even paying their rent as it is largely publicized.
Demolish that & make an entertainment hub of activities that tourists would actually spend money on.
Poor you.
Cruise ship passengers use taxi. Men who drive taxi vote. Stop all this stupidness complaining about Cruise ships…this is not going to change
He said “strategic recovery”. LMBO. meanwhile there is no resemblance of a strategic tourism plan since 2019! which means any increase in traffic has very little if anything at all to do with anything this government has done. Government did nothing to achieve these numbers.
We’re sitting good now!
WE ALL KNOW THE BiG youUTH GOT TO MAKE heSELF LOOK GOOD , ( its called BRAGGING RIGHTS AND TELL THEMSELVES , THAT MASTER WEATIE IS FOING AN EXELENT JOB , SO HE DESERVE THE INCREASE IN SALARY , / THANKS FOR SHEDDING SOME LIGHT ON THIS WANNABE GENIUS •
Yet Kye got up bragging about increased tourist numbers via the airport and the net economic gain that brings. While the Premier here saying the overnight tourist numbers were stable. What this means is the numbers in the airport shifted from the seaport. No net new tourists but VIP would want you to believe otherwise. We are not moving forward ever with VIP
He was never a smart one
Years ago, was on the overnight visitor. Hotels such as Prospect Reef, Treasure Isle, and the Moorings were thriving, alongside many smaller locally owned hotels and guesthouses across the island. Tourism benefits were more evenly distributed and the BVI experienced meaningful economic returns.
During the recent Christmas holiday period, I was shocked by the level of overcrowding from the cruise ships. Busloads of passengers were transported to a single location, mainly Cane Garden Bay, where hundreds arrived at the same time. Beach chairs now stretch to the water’s edge, leaving virtually no open space. Every inch of the beach is filled, creating congestion that diminishes the experience for residents and visitors alike.
Despite the pressure placed on our beaches and roads, cruise passengers contribute little to the local economy. Most meals, entertainment, and accommodations are paid for onboard, and many spend only a few hours ashore, sending little to nothing back into local businesses execpt the taxis.
Overnight tourists, by contrast, stay for days or weeks, explore the island more widely, renting cars dining, shopping, and activities. Their spending supports stable employment, local busines ownership, and long-term economic resilience.
The contrast is clear: overcrowding with minimal returns versus sustainable tourism with meaningful local benefits.