Premier defends tourism: “Some have downplayed our success”
Premier Dr Natalio Wheatley has hit back at critics who he said have downplayed the BVI’s success in attracting overnight visitors, insisting that the tourism sector is rebounding strongly and remains a key driver of the local economy.
Delivering his 2026 Budget Address, Premier Wheatley said the territory recorded more than 1.1 million visitors in 2024, the second largest in the territory’s history. He said 2025 is on track to surpass even that, with 837,000 arrivals recorded by the end of the third quarter, including a 7.2 percent rise in cruise passengers and a nearly 55 percent jump in day trippers.
“Some have downplayed our success with overnight visitors,” Dr Wheatley said, noting that overnight stays exceeded 300,000 for the first time since 2017, when hurricanes Irma and Maria battered the territory.
“Available statistics reveal that only St. Lucia, Martinique, and St. Maarten have more overnight arrivals than the Virgin Islands within the OECS region. We are doing well,” Dr Wheatley stated.
The Premier’s remarks come amid ongoing criticism of his administration’s handling of the tourism portfolio, with detractors arguing that the government has failed to deliver major new tourism developments or a clear, long-term plan for growth.
Premier Wheatley pushed back on that narrative, outlining several developments in the overnight sector, including the reopening of Peter Island Resort and the Bitter End Yacht Club, the upcoming relaunch of Biras Creek Resort, all expected to improve the high-end, boutique offerings designed to attract longer-staying guests.
He also announced that a National Tourism Policy, covering the period 2025 to 2035, has been completed and is now under internal review before being presented to Cabinet in December.
A Request for Proposal for a National Tourism Plan is also set to be issued soon.
Dr Wheatley said the sector’s continued growth will be supported by improved air and sea connectivity, marketing campaigns such as BVI Restaurant Week, and government-led coordination through the new Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Sustainable Development.
“Tourism is once again a major engine of economic growth,” the Premier declared, adding that the sector is expected to remain a primary source of GDP expansion into 2026 and beyond.
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With over 1 million visitors contributing annually to the economy, and considering the island’s population is less than 40,000, it begs the question, where does all the money go?
Great to hear that the
Request
For a Plan
To Make a Plan
Is still being planned.
Good progress.
We are keen to hear about the plan for the issuing of the Request for a plan, to make a Plan when the issuing plan for the request for a plan for the plan is ready.
Thanks.
this man always trying take credit for the strides made in the private sector
Let’s be clear:
Nataly is not responsible for a single dollar made in tourism.
From 1968 and onward this is the best that the BVI has going as far as I know.
Tourism is supposedly thriving — yet our “season” only lasts from November to March, a mere five months. It’s so good that all we can offer tourists is a ride along roller-coaster roads filled with potholes, and overgrown bushes lining the streets.
Your glowing numbers raise questions — are day-trippers to St. Thomas being counted just to inflate the statistics? Because if tourism is truly booming, why are so many BVIslanders still unemployed? From Beef Island to Road Town looks more like a neglected slum than a destination. The area in the worst condition is the very one entrusted to your care, yet it remains neglected under your leadership. Ironically, it’s the closest to the airport — the very first impression tourists get when they arrive.
Now, tourists have to worry about stray bullets, because criminals roam free while your government turns a blind eye. How safe can visitors feel going out at night—or even in broad daylight—when frustrated young people, desperate and jobless, see robbery as their only option? Meanwhile, you and your cronies feast on filet mignon while the stench of sewage and signs of poverty fill our streets.
And what about that expensive bathroom building at Trellis Bay—the so-called gateway to Virgin Gorda—that stands as an eyesore and a symbol of poor planning? Should I even go on about how unprepared this island is when it comes to tourism?
It’s an embarrassment. We owe thanks only to Peter Island, Scrub Island, and Little Dix Bay for their marketing efforts—without them, few would bother visiting our shores. Yet even that, Sawonde, you want to take credit for.
A word to the wise: restore law and order in this country before crime destroys what little is left of our tourism product. And if you are incapable step aside and let those in the know do their work.
Hotels is empty. February is the season. No more.
BVI becoming the McDonald’s of Caribbean tourism. Low budget customers who trash the place. Just need a drive up window at the dock.