Presidential Partner! VI renews deal with FCCA to grow cruise tourism
The British Virgin Islands has formed a strategic development agreement with the Florida-Caribbean Cruise Association (FCCA) – a trade organisation comprising 23 member cruise lines operating nearly 200 vessels in Florida, the Caribbean and Latin American.
The FCCA said in an announcement on Monday that the agreement will see the territory becoming a “Presidential Partner” with the Association.
Some of the features of this partnership include a focus on converting cruise guests to stay-over visitors, promoting summer cruising, engaging travel agents, creating consumer demand, and developing a destination service-needs assessment that will detail strengths, opportunities and needs.
The FCCA said it will not only guide the BVI government on enhancing their product and increasing cruise calls, but will also facilitate new experiences to offer cruise companies and collaborate with the local private sector to maximise any opportunities.
The agreement will further utilise the FCCA’s cruise executive committees for a series of meetings and site visits focused on the territory’s objectives.
“We’re excited to expand our partnership with the FCCA as Strategic Development Destination Partners,” said Communication & Works Minister, Kye Rymer. “This collaboration will amplify our cruise tourism reach, improve, and develop the services and products we offer for our cruise guests and generate more opportunities for the people of the Virgin Islands in this sector.”
This is not the first time the territory has been a Presidential Partner with the FCCA. The BVI previously held this partnership following hurricanes Irma and Maria that devastated the territory back in 2017.
The Association cited statistics indicating that the partnership generated $12.63 million in total cruise tourism expenditures and an additional $4.33 million in total employee wage income for the BVI during the 2017/2018 cruise year.
These statistics are seemingly endorsed by the BVI Ports Authority who forwarded the FCCA’s published announcement to the media entities locally.
In the meantime FCCA President Michele Paige said her organisation is proud of its past work with the BVI.
“Through this agreement, FCCA is fully committed to fulfilling individualised initiatives, which focus on assisting the private sector, improving employment, fostering cruise lines’ purchase of local goods and more that will help locals prosper from the economic impact that the industry brings,” she stated.
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is the cruise ship organization that lured a premier into a DEA trap in south Florida last year. So why should the BVI trust this group now???
Nobody but big Drew greedy behind have him in the position he is currently in. He big and have sense!!!! But the love of Money, Power and Greed!!!!!!!
What a waste! This partnership is a pay to play one. If we don’t pay for the premium membership then they don’t promote BVI. I like what Bahamas did. They stopped paying FCCA and SeaTrade and the rest. They had confidence in the attractiveness of their country and saved tax payers hundreds of thousands of dollars in these association fees. Cruise ships still going Bahamas non stop! FCCA don’t do a thing for we except get the Head Coach locked up.
Economic folly – for islands like the BVI, that’s all cruise tourism really is.
GREAT NEWS!!!!!
You are clueless. For any small country/island, everything is ‘pay to play’ don’t get it twisted. You want airlift? You have to PAY the seat guarantee, you want access like bigger countries? You PAY! That’s how it works. You don’t sit here with nice sandy beaches and ‘pray’ that people come. You get in gear, get in the mix, spend money to make money. Your attitude is why places like St. Kitts have blown pass the BVI when it comes to Tourism. They were able to balance volume with their environment and level of offering. We are made up of 60 islands, 8 of which have direct offerings so why can’t we maximize on what we have?
@fccc you sound so stupid which makes you definitely stupid blogg sense not nosense
Nonsense you chatting. St kitts not no other country hasn’t blown past the BVI. Two totally different products and target markets. So the fact that you even attempted to compare the two means you don’t know tourism. BVI can target cruise without going through FCCA. Proven!
Sounds great. We do need Carnival. If we can get Carnival to come even once every two weeks is a great thing. But I hope its not just a popular political talking point. When election done this talk is done.
You are just clue-less. Carnival is the head-company for cruise lines like Princess, Holland American, Costa, Aida and many more besides Carnival cruise line. Sometimes I see 2 Aida ships in port at the same day.
All this emphasis on tourism, particularly with the in-name-only premier more than once calling tourism the major source of income for the BVI, leads one to think that they are planning for a future without the financial services. Could it be that a global digital currency spells the end of tax jurisdictions such as the BVI? Hmm..
What’s the material difference(s) between St Kitts and BVI when it comes to tourism products?