Fahie’s arrest has not impacted Sea Trade Conference success
Local tourism stakeholders are confident former Premier, Andrew Fahie’s arrest did not have a major impact on the allure of the territory to industry partners locally and internationally.
Fahie was arrested while he was on official business representing the BVI at the annual Sea Trade Cruise Global conference in Miami.
Speaking at a press conference on Friday, May 13 Deputy Premier Kye Rymer, a member of the BVI delegation to the conference, said that based on industry executives’ response, he is confident the enthusiasm for visiting the territory remains high.
He noted communications between local tourism stakeholders and international partners would have continued regarding cruise ship calls to the territory.
“Based on what happened at Sea Trade with our cruise partners, the experience of the guests remains high and they were excited to come to the territory. I understand what took place at that time but our industry partners have developed a relationship with them, and they will make sure that once they come to the territory, the product would be there for them to explore,” Rymer said.
Marketing Director of the BVI Ports Authority, Natasha Chalwell, who was also a member of the Sea Trade delegation said the atmosphere at the conference was positive and productive. She said they met with several industry partners and had more than 20 meetings with cruise ship representatives since their return from Sea Trade.
She reiterated that confidence remains high.
“We have reached out to our cruise partners, and we have meetings last week with the same individuals just to reassure them that we continue to operate our cruise business and that was well received. We have been able to confirm and maintain all the calls of the season,” Chalwell said.
Director of the BVI Tourism Board Clive McCoy also shared the same sentiments and highlighted the success of the conference in relation to tourism in the territory. He noted that cruise lines were excited to call on the Virgin Islands and he noted the territory was praised for its hospitality towards guests.
“Another thing that was very exciting was how much they thought the hospitality of the BVI was very well. One of them told us we (the BVI) went in the top-three of destinations they have visited for hospitality,” McCoy said.
He also said two new cruise lines – Ritz Charlton and Virgin Limited will be visiting the territory in the upcoming cruise ship season.
Meanwhile, Premier Dr Natalio Wheatley noted that the arrest of Fahie was very unfortunate, saddening, and shocking for everyone but since then, the government has moved on; firstly, by removing Fahie from his ministerial posts.
“We are sending a message to the Virgin Islands public and to the international community that business continues in the BVI,” Dr Wheatley said.
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Unfortunately it has a huge impact and is just one of the BVI corrupt officials that still run the BVI. Our experience in the development of the pier clearly illustrates to continued corruption with in the Islands. Mark Vanterpool continues to mislead and defraud his fellow Belongs. Claude Cline is being paid by the government to keep quiet, and the Hugh Darley Tortola Pier Park remains corrupt. I paid for Cline to take his first cruise, he did nano a cruise ship from a barge when we met him. The BVI Investment club now owns my 20% of the Port. The BVIPA still owes me $2 million in Fees and act as if i just disappeared. KPMG and others falsely reported facts and figures to the UK Inquiry board and i have all the evidence. Why should anyone do business in the BVI. The belongs inherited one of the most fabulous places on earth and run it like a banana republic. What a legacy to leave behind! The fact you don’t think the Premier’s actions hurt the territory shows you how bad the whole of the island has become. Pray for the BVI as it is only something God can correct!
[The above comment does not necessarily represent the views and opinions of the management and staff of BVINews.com and its parent company.]
Hugh Darley just dropped some truth bombs in my view. Lord have mercy. The whole blanking island seems upside down at the moment. Im dizzy. I cant stand straight. Everyday, something new.
Somebody bets pay this man his money. 2 Mil is no small change.
Now, Im done.
I’m with you! My head just been spinning. Lord, I don’t know how much more to take in. Who raised up the Ants Nest buddy? Tola live and direct.
Honestly is true you don’t know what next from day to day but the territory is running and doing just fine at the moment. Just keep picking out the rotten mangoes through them in the garbage and let’s move on with the buisness at hand
#2 head coach fool most his followers but many knew he was as shady as they come but they did not care and up to this day they still saying free willy
What we have just read from my Darley is all speculation, if he wants us to believe his story he needs to present some validated facts, until then he remains just another individual who may be bitter against the people of the BVI because his investment when sour, he needs to put up or shut up, we don’t need to come to him.
Actually it had HUGE impact on the conference. It was all that wa talked about whenever the BVI was mentioned. How do I know? I was THERE for tourism board. I was asked constantly about it every time someone saw my bvi shirt, cap or pin. So yes it had an immense impact on us.
Earth provides enough to satisfy every man’s needs, but not every man’s greed. Let’s acknowledge our mistakes and move forward in a drug free culture.
Mr Darley take your grievances up in a different forum. If you have a claim, file it.
The BVI is an awesome place to visit – simply beautiful. Like every place on this earth there are the bad apples but the majority of the people are warm and welcoming. And I must say it again, the BVI is beautiful! The on the water experience is awesome! And compared to many other places visited it is still very much clean!!! I must not forget – the food is awesome!
Stay strong BVI!
Cruise ships are all the government and the Tourist Board care about. Cruise ship passengers generate $12 for sure and the small percentage who get off maybe $25 each if you are lucky.
Every hotel guest or yacht charterer spends thousands of dollars.
High end hotels generate $3000 – 4000 spend in the country per head and often more. Yacht charterers similar amounts.
But the government actively discourages these tourist industries with endless taxes, closed ports, lousy airports, nasty officials, mindless bureacracy and armed dawn raids.
And it shows no sign of changing.
What else would we expect a hotelier to say?
So elitists. They fail to mention an enormous amount of this visitor spend stays in their pockets and upper level management is reserved for non locals.
What hoteliers and others persons in that industry should do is allow others to benefit from the BVI. It cannot be YOU all the times.
We should look at ways for all arms of tourism to function rather than try to pit them against each other. If I don’t benefit from your sector does not mean that I should wish death upon it. All the same, you take your salary as I do mine and put it back into our economy in groceries, tax, gas, pleasures, home building, education, etc just to name a few.
Thank you. That dude is mad at the entire population who have no idea what he is talking about. He needs to find a good lawyer and present him with his proof.
As i said it is one of the most beautiful places on earth and as a world traveler i know it better than most. However when the most beautiful is maned by ugly people it makes for an ugly place. I tried to hire an attorney in BVI and learned all firms are conflicted due to all being hired by the Government, not a single straight firm in the BVI. The formun to discuss is in the sunshine, not in dark deals with NVI Investment Club, member of both parties and criminals. If you want the evidence send me an emails address and i’ll copy you on the documents i have. Maybe the paper will ask for a copy and publish them for us all to share.
I wish I could upvote your comment 100 times.
Interesting how BVI news published that but fails to publish less demeaning blogs
“The belongs inherited one of the most fabulous places on earth and run it like a banana republic. What a legacy to leave behind!”
https://www.virginislandsnewsonline.com/domains/virginislandsnewsonline.com/en/news/i-made-no-promises-of-gifts-nor-was-i-offered-any-hugh-e-darley
“It is important for the people to know I was an owner and brought the project to government, I was not hired and I was not fired. I have an agreement that the BVIPA did not honour.”
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Im sorry but you said belongs run it like a banana republic. That is pretty offensive considering the quote in the article.
According to the article you said “It is important for the people to know I was an owner and brought the project to government, I was not hired and I was not fired.”
you wanted to own a piece of this banana republic? Isnt that at the least condescending?
If you want to make a point wouldnt it be better not to offend belongs while doing it?
You may have facts but keep it classy. The pier park looks nice by the way.
Before leaving to go to this Cruise trade was any meeting held with Taxi drivers to get their input and suggestion. Our biggest challenge is to get good ships, not more ships, Get a ship like Norwegian and Carnival make more calls, Why is Norwegian leaves so early, Why can’t they stay until 4 or 5pm. Cane Garden Bay fee need increasing to $11.00 per head up and down those steep hills are not easy on both the drivers and their vehicles.
So all those years you didn’t know the hill was steep?.. if you can’t handle yourself just say that… You look like you want to scare people off.
It’s not much about a driver,s ability it’s more about vehicle pressure, compression and fuel consumption,Example – From Road town to West End is about 25-30 mins drive with-in the speed limit…From From Road town to Cane Garden Bay is about 12-15 mins. You burn more fuel going to Cane Garden Bay that is a shorter run than you burn going to West end which is a much longer run, Yet it cost much more to go to West End..Hope you get the point..
Move your greedy behind. Anyone can go to sea trade. Why did you not make a reservation and pay your way there to represent the taxi drivers or better yet taxi associations could get together and chose persons to go to sea trade.
So get another job. Why do taxi drivers feel so entitled? It seems like every politician needs to consult them for every detail. You make up a small portion of the population. Very small. Yet you constantly place yourself at the top of the totem pole. Get yourself a reality check. Find yourself another job if this one isnt cutting it.
Stop saying things like “the arrest of Fahie was very unfortunate, saddening, and shocking” Fahie is an alleged corrupt greedy criminal who has disgraced his family, his religion, and his country.
A big section , if not most , of the BVI population was delighted when Fahie was arrested. Me included.
What product are you refering to that the visitors can enjoy. Is this a reference to the product project that the never particularly honourable Andrew Fahie and Kadeem was setting up.
Head Coach neglected his most powerful supporters, who also got mucho $$$, for stupidity, “Park n Ride”, while many starvedand could not pay their rent. Seems like, Coach had big bucks for himself on his mind, not the priorities of those taxi drivers who have kept him in the HOA all these long years.
he is learning to tell l**s
Do not enjoy the sewerage stench in Road Town. Or the terrible roads. Of course Coach’s arrest had an impact on the Conference why lie? The arrest of our Leader and MD of the BVI Ports had to have every one aghast. Then they got to read the Affidavit and see for themselves all the nasty details. Shame was brought on this country why deny it? Do those cruises ship players play a clean game? Asking for a friend.
TOO MUCH CONCEITEDNESS, WE DON’T KNOW WHO TO TRUST / WITH ALL THE DRUGS ,GUNS , MURDER ECT GOIN ON HERE AND ALL THEY HOLLERING OUT IS RACISM , COLONIALISM AND CLOSING THE EYES TO ALL THE ATROCITIES PERPETRATED BY THEIR MASTER BIGGY AND COMPANY
It was a success in that it helped us get rid of the corrupt ring leader. Unfortunately we still have a lot of cleaning up to do. Starting with the new Cabinet.
I guess that means Andrew was able to allegedly close some drug deals before getting caught.
The DEA does not just target anyone in these stings. They go for known drug dealers. It’s a way to get them to incriminate themselves without having to rely on vulnerable witnesses and complex trials.
Fahie was known to be in the drug business, Jaspert said it , and he was right.
As for the port MD it looks like those who put her in the position she was so st**id to take just for the money are now ignoring her because she has a public defense attorney.
If you put a hog in mud what will he do??????
Check the MD last name and do the math.
Are there any penalties for uncooperative civil servant? They are been paid by tax payers and they are obligated to cooperate truthfully and honestly or else. That we need to know..
on a screen that came from a politician’s mouth does not equal the truth anymore in the BVI. Dis ‘Unity’ government new boss same as the old boss.
We need to stop being ostrich, burying our head in the sand . Of course the Premier actions and the now investigations into top ranking civil servants … sent on leave , ask to resign is just a soft way of firing those individuals and more to come . This dishonesty to the territory is not going to get us out of where we are now .
Secondly
We want March against a UK a unified territory against a complete take over let’s be real :
1. Committees are formed to get cooperation how many of these committees reflect the populace ? ( Outside of indigenous BVI)
2. Advisory Boards are formed , how is the populace represented on the Boards
We are no better than the way blacks were treated in the US
Not because a person might not experience prejudice does not feel it does not exists
It filters from the church all the way into the society ,
You marry into the family they feel it is a betrayal to the indigenous BVI lots of underneath bees in the Pandora box .
This is what I am saying it is to early to feel the impact of what Fahie did …….we need better educated people in government…..people who can think critically and hopefully are humble as well…..it is up to the people to look for them….
They reference in terms of business not being impacted are that of their ship bookings, they have not lost any.
So. Mr. Minister, about the port office in Miami. Are you saying that BVIPA board is directing BVI foreign policy. And that you ok with that.
All of my conversations with tourist are dominated by the Premiere’s arrest and corruption. How could we think this has had no impact? Watch closely the same type of decisions are being made as before the only difference is who is benefitting. Let’s see how the UK views the Unity Government’s proposal for continued self government.
Doesn’t that lady in charge of Port Marketing, ‘N’ co-own the barge company that Fat Albert hired and is under COI criminal investigation? One would think that she is under investigation too. One would think she knows a lot about what was going on with her barges. Just curious.
Curious, your problem with who should be investigated and barges have some effect on you. Stop your hate and try to be someone in the society in which you live. Keep your eyes open and hope for your trouble ways of thinking to have a chance to work. Don’t be heartbroken when it all said and done.