Premier says company selected to prepare BVI’s tourism plan
Premier Dr Natalio Wheatley
The government has selected a company to prepare the territory’s first National Tourism Plan, Premier Dr Natalio Wheatley announced as he outlined plans to guide the future growth of the tourism industry.
Speaking during his 2026 State of the Territory Address, Premier Wheatley said the plan would create a long-term framework for tourism development and support efforts to ensure the industry remains sustainable as visitor arrivals continue to rise.
“Government has selected the company that will prepare the National Tourism Plan, creating the Virgin Islands’ first long-term roadmap for sustainable tourism growth, competitiveness, and product development,” Dr Wheatley told residents during his speech.
The announcement came as the Premier reported what he described as one of the strongest periods of tourism performance in the territory’s history. According to Wheatley, visitor arrivals increased from just under one million visitors three years ago to more than 1.2 million in 2025, with cruise arrivals surpassing 875,000 visitors during the year. He said overnight arrivals also exceeded 300,000 visitors in 2025.
Complement to National Tourism Policy
Dr Wheatley said the tourism plan would complement a National Tourism Policy that is expected to be considered by Cabinet at its next meeting following extensive public consultation.
“Importantly, the policy and the plan will examine tourism carrying capacity and visitor value management, ensuring that growth remains sustainable, protects quality of life, preserves the character of the Virgin Islands, and safeguards the visitor experience,” Dr Wheatley stated.
The Premier said a tourism summit held last week demonstrated government’s commitment to developing the sector in partnership with private stakeholders. He added that a Destination Management Council would be established to provide structured input from industry representatives, communities and tourism partners.
Transition from BVITB to Tourism Ministry
The government also plans to transfer responsibility for tourism development staffing from the BVI Tourist Board to the ministry responsible for tourism.
“At the same time, staffing for tourism development will transition from the tourist board to the ministry responsible for tourism, giving government the institutional capacity needed to actively shape and strengthen the tourism product,” Dr Wheatley stated.
Meanwhile, Dr Wheatley said work continues on major projects, including the planned Brandywine Bay attraction, which he said is expected to break ground later this year. The government is also pursuing heritage, cultural, sports and entertainment tourism initiatives while supporting investment in new accommodation and attractions.
In recent years, opposition figures have repeated calls for a comprehensive tourism development strategy to help balance growth in cruise tourism, overnight stays and the territory’s marine sector while protecting the destination’s environmental and cultural assets.
Dr Wheatley said the tourism policy, tourism plan and strengthened ministry capacity would together represent “a game-changing approach to making tourism an even stronger economic backbone of the Virgin Islands.”
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So the promised ‘top secret’ plan will remain ‘top secret’?
Set of bold faced liars!
Cruise ship numbers help Government’s tax collection, and fluffs statistics, but does very little for the majority of tourism related businesses.
More money spent on another Tourism Plan that won’t be implemented. They got stacks of expensive plans already, but they keep saying what the govt don’t want to hear so they sit on the shelf.
Is the point of getting an outside company to do the tourism plan to put lipstick on a pig. I’m linking the consultation version of the plan. My read is the BVI was doing better in the decade of the 2010’s. The data in the report tells a story of neglect. The BVI has traded higher economic impact tourism for a large increase in cruise numbers. The plan, which has common sense priorities will probably become a plan to plan. When are people going to get serious What a waste.
https://gov.vg/sites/default/files/2026-02/vintp_2026-2036_01feb2026.pdf
wow I have a government report very very helpful ❤️❤️❤️❤️€€€€€€€
I guess we all forgot that the Premier said he already had a plan but didn’t want to reveal it for fear of competition.
But now here he is saying he is hiring a foreign company to give them several hundred thousand dollars to soon develop the plan that he the Premier said he already had in his hand!
Come on people! Are we really going to fall for this bold face lying?
Also please note that qualified locals already approached the government to help create this plan 3 years ago! I bet we will be through our teeth for this foreign company. Watch them quickly try to align it with a local person or company now to cover their tracks.
make real money from cruise ships? fyi for the gov. .1% of our bread and butter $1000/night long term visitors, find 800′ floating hotels anything but an eyesore against our virgin islands. facts. one family?
Please explain to the public what 2.5 million dollars was sent to Jamaica for. A few of us knows what is going on however, we are giving you the benefit of the doubt to explain why 2.5 million dollars of the tax payer’s money was released to Jamaica to whom and for what reason. Mr. Premier all I will say is this cannot be swept under the carpet.
Whattt??!!, you don’t say, say it ain’t so. Hope this don’t turn out like another Bank of Asia scam.2.5 mil is a lot of money. I’m out here looking for a little bird to land on my shoulder and give me the scoop. The street curb said it might have a little something, something AKA info for me later.2.5 mil quite interesting.
The Premier may have gotten a good education but he is a damn functioning ret**d like a whole lot of them here is here both men and women. Should I start naming names?
In Peanuts cartoon the teacher says stuff that sounds like what some politicians sound like – Bwa Bwabwam bwabwa bwabwa…They have a fall back career in cartoons if they ever lose their seat in the HOA.
very helpful❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️ᓚᘏᗢᓚᘏᗢᓚᘏᗢᓚᘏᗢᓚᘏᗢᓚᘏᗢᓚᘏᗢ^_^^_^^_^:-D:-D:-D:-D:-D^_~^_~:(:(:():):):):)::[:[:[:[:[:-(:-(:-(:-P:-P:-P:P;);)
At Local Brother. If they are on the government nipples they will sucknon the lies alright.