Pier Park eyes record year as it marks 10th anniversary

As it marked its 10th anniversary yesterday, the Tortola Pier Park Limited (TPPL) is projecting a record-breaking year for cruise arrivals, with Chief Executive Officer Vance Lewis pointing to the facility’s resilience through hurricanes and a global pandemic as the foundation for its continued growth.

Reflecting on the past decade, Lewis said the pier park’s story is about far more than its years in operation.

“It’s more than 10 years of our existence, but it’s more than that because this facility has a lot to do with the economic development of the territory,” Lewis said. “People will recall we have twin pillars — tourism and the offshore financial sector. The cruise sector has proved to be a significant segment of our tourism product.”

Lewis recounted the intense preparation ahead of the park’s early cruise calls in 2016, followed by the devastation of Hurricanes Irma and Maria in September 2017.

“At the Pier Park, most of our roofs were off, business was down. I was given a task to get it back together and get the cruise ships back in several months. We got them back in October 2018, we started growing rapidly again because the facility is such a beautiful facility — and then along came COVID,” he said.

Despite the setbacks, Lewis said the cruise sector has rebounded strongly. He revealed that more than 900,000 cruise passengers visited the territory last year, and projections for 2026 exceed one million visitors.

“So I can say, ‘and still we rise’. We continue rising. The beautiful Cyril B. Romney Tortola Pier Park is a testament to the resilience of the Virgin Islands,” Lewis added.

Yesterday’s anniversary ceremony featured a cultural parade, a commemorative video presentation titled A Decade in Motion, and addresses from Communications and Works Minister Kye Rymer and Premier Dr Natalio Wheatley. Staff and tenants were also recognised for their contributions over the past decade.

The celebration underscored the pier park’s role as a key gateway for cruise tourism and its growing impact on the territory’s economic recovery and expansion.