Seaports to open on December 8
Junior Minister for Tourism Sharie De Castro has announced that seaports in the territory will open a week after the main airport.
Come December 1, the TB Lettsome International Airport will start accepting visitors.
Speaking at a community meeting held on Jost Van Dyke on Thursday, October 16, De Castro said she wanted Jost Van Dyke residents to be the first to know of the opening of seaports as tourism is the lifeblood of the island.
“Visitors will be able to enter through the seaports on December 8, 2020. That’s just assurance that we have been hearing your cries, we do understand that the marine aspects of the ports are very valuable to Jost Van Dyke,” De Castro said while receiving a round of applause from residents.
Premier Andrew Fahie said he will give more information on the reopening of seaports in an address to the territory on Monday, October 26.
Residents have criticised the government for choosing to reopen the airport before seaports, saying most arrive in the territory by sea.
However, Premier Fahie justified the move, saying the airport provides a controlled environment for testing protocols that can then be transferred to the seaports.
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Twice a year for the last four years I charter two or three large boats and have on average 16 guests per boat per trip. In response to the announcement that the BVI was going to open on Dec 1, I completed payment of over $36,000 to charter boats. Most have arranged travel to arrive at Tortola from St Thomas. As I understand it, protocols are not yet defined and sea arrival won’t be open until Dec 8. Our charter starts Dec 2!!!!!. People are threatening to cancel the trip and I stand to lose a LOT of money. I’m sure stories like mine are repeated many hundreds of times. The BVI government is either totally incompetent or simply does not care about tourism. Don’t listen to what they say – it’s like the USA – all lies. Look at what they DO. I will never return to the BVI – there are plenty of other places to go.
Tim i think you jump the gun here. If I’m not mistaken it was said that only the airport would reopen on December 1st. Seaports at a later date.
Goodbye, we won’t miss you!!!
Looks like your charter company fleeced you if they didn’t tell you Dec 1 by airport entry only. It was well publicized.
No, it was NOT a well publicized. The BVI Govt announced they were opening on Dec 1st …. and then a week or two later indicated it was only the airport that was opening. They should have anticipated that people would book charters based on their statements and big “BVI Love” marketing roll-out.
You planned a trip without knowing details for the reopening but knowing full well we’re all in a pandemic …it’s not the BVI you need to be upset with .
All of you getting excited by a date and deciding to make all these arrangements before knowing all the details just crazy. You think the pandemic will end December 1
The USVI is open I hear.
Only an ass will give a tums up to Tim post.
From the beginning it was made clear that although the borders would reopen on December 1st, COVID-19 precautions were still to be discussed. To date no concrete reopening protocols have been published by the Government of the Virgin Islands. Frustrating but factual. YOU jumped the gun. Direct that anger at yourself for being too hasty sir.
The logic behind when and where you do Government announcements is beyond absurd. Your lack of substance is frightening, let alone being absolutely devoid of urgency!
She the minister for ports ?
These people are just following the opposition around the place. Thank God the opposition spoke out to ensure that the seaports opened. God help us as this Government don’t have a clue, their going to kill our tourism industry.
Lol What opposition? The opposition members don’t even communicate with each other. Mark shows up when he wants, Fraser is disinterested with those bunch of jokers. The opposition is the weakest in years. Nobody takes them seriously. All they do is oppose but haven’t gotten anything interesting out of VIP. The 2 man VIP opposition was able to expose the BVI Airways and Pier Park debacle and what have these guys done? All they do is give opposing opinions.
What about resident and new work permit when available to come in
Just more hot air from the gas bag and his minion. He has no plan. Sways with the wind or who gives him the bigger lunch. Tourism is done for this year as tourists cannot plan. Maybe the useless junior minister can enlighten everyone where and how she expects to have tourists into the Territory this season. What a waste of human flesh these people are.
This is a set up! A trap for Nationals/Belongers visiting and tourists. How do you announce that you are opening borders and not the arrival procedures? Every other Caribbean island is making it part of their announcements. BVI government think people are stupid to visit and get roped into quarantine?
She wanted, ‘JVD to be the first to know’! What the fudgery is going on here?? Where are the protocols?? What’s up with this piecemeal crap the government is dishing out!??
Trying hard to stay positive because love the BVI.
At least a known date for ferry travel is now published. Just don’t add a quarantine period. That would be a deal breaker for anyone wanting to come to the BVI this year.
They say they announcing seaports to open as Jost depends on tourism, ehhh what about the other islands Anegada, Cooper, Peter,Norman and Virgin Gorda ? So they’re going to open the seaport to what, let all the daytrippers from St Thomas come in yet give our tourists that are here for a week a proposed 4 day quarantine. Pure stupidness . You have lost your market BVI, you are killing your people and our guests will go elsewhere. What a mess!
Go news much less costly to travel this way and wouldn’t have if this didn’t happen.
So no announcement on HOW guests will arrive?
Rapid tests? 4 days quarantine? Etc?
And JvD is the center of the USVI day boats – the Drunk Trump tribe who don’t wear masks and don’t follow rules etc. So how you going to help the bars there and NOT spread deadly COVID among the BVI population?
Protocols is what every tourism business is waiting on.
So wtf are you guys waiting for?
Everyone understands the urgency to open up the economy.
Such is well understood by the leaders and populace at large, but given the horrific and rising numbers of cases in America, Europe and South America, from whence a majority of tourist originate, the government better think, plan and execute their plans for opening very, very carefully and prudently.
If not, the country will become infected and forced to shut down again.
Hence, stringent precautionary protocols must be activated and enforced across the board, from air and seaports to people smuggling.
Therefore, prudent, well thoughtout decisions must be paramount, or diaster will strike us. No doubt.
The BVI will be bankrupt by March 2021 if you do not embrace that Covid is here forever. We all have to live with that. We are resilient and survived IrMaria and rebuilt independently. Make a plan with protocols that can balance the BVI economy considering Covid’s collateral damage. With all due respect, don’t you have a vast supply of resources and protocols in place for months now? Rapid tests, masks, doctors, etc? Here’s some professional guidance: enforce mandatory proper masks wearing whenever amongst people and ramp up on testing. And if the numbers increase, reinstall another curfew and border controls.
Who authorize her to make such an announcement. What the fudge is going on in this country. This was not discussed with Customs, Ports, Immigration much less TB. These clowns will be the death of this territory. Big announcement and the critical agencies dont know.
She’s the junior minister for tourism.
whats with this ridiculous junior minister nonsense , she either the minister for tourism. take off the junior
2001