Tourism summit scheduled for January 2025
The BVI is set to host a pivotal tourism summit in January 2025 that seeks to reshape the territory’s tourism strategy.
Junior Minister for Tourism and Culture Luce Hodge-Smith recently explained the summit’s role in engaging industry stakeholders to collaboratively develop a forward-looking tourism plan.
“We’re going to be inviting the tourism industry persons, stakeholders, to come and share with us,” Hodge-Smith stated. “We’ll share with them some of our plans for tourism going forward, what our strategy is going to be, what our plan is going to be, but to get their input before we can actually produce a strategy or a strategic plan or even a policy.”
This initiative comes at a critical juncture for the BVI’s tourism sector. In November 2024, Fodor’s Travel included the BVI in its ‘No List 2025’, highlighting destinations facing significant challenges due to tourism pressures.
The publication noted concerns over the territory’s emphasis on cruise tourism, with cruise ship passengers accounting for approximately 72% of the over 683,000 visitors in the first half of 2024.
Premier Dr Natalio Wheatley recently dismissed the publication and its author as ‘particularly negative’, suggesting that an unfavourable depiction of the territory contributed to the BVI’s inclusion on the list. However, the concerns have led to apprehensions about the economic benefits of cruise tourism, as cruise passengers typically spend less locally than overnight guests.
Infrastructure limitations further compound these issues, with Communications and Works Minister Kye Rymer acknowledging that the BVI’s current infrastructure cannot support mass tourism. Former BVI Tourist Board Director Sharon Flax-Brutus also emphasised the need for comprehensive planning, stating that the territory often overlooks potential drawbacks in its tourism strategies.
Environmental concerns also persist. The BVI’s coral reefs, already vulnerable due to climate change, face additional threats from unregulated anchoring, coastal development, and the use of non-reef-safe sunscreens. While an environmental levy of $10 per tourist has been implemented to fund conservation efforts, the allocation of these funds has been delayed for years by political challenges.
The upcoming summit is expected to serve as a platform for open dialogue, allowing stakeholders to voice concerns and contribute to policy amendments. Hodge-Smith noted that the current tourism policy has not been updated in quite some time and underscored the need for its revision to address contemporary issues.
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What difference will it make. The only summit we need is the one to get rid of this government. Election summit!
@ jokers, we know the cure for the sore foot. And we keep festering it with family, friends and NOT the law and constitution!
We BVILANDERS are our own problems!!
I glad for all of them.
Don’t forget the BVI voting populace voted outright for 6 VIP candidates (5 x district, 1 x at-large)
This is what they voted for.
Soooooooo, what’s then the purpose of a Tourist Board and Department of Tourism, if the people have to come up with the A,B,Cs and 1,2,3s of the direction of the industry for the country? I guess fancy titles and salaries are just commonplace here with no accountability for the work required from said persons. The BVI is its own problem, I swear. A d*mn shame!
Title and salary is all they care about.
All this rep has done for h to e entire 2024 is NADA! Your district is a mess and dust bowl, the sidewalks are bo longer there, you haven’t done any work for 2024 but collected a nice salary!
Now you’ve come up with a ‘summit’ as your great plan to kick of 2025; GTFOH Luce! You maybe a nice lady, but politically; you are a bench warmer and nothing more than a number. I do t hear anything valuable coming out of your mouth when you are in HOA.
What really then is your purpose and direction as the D4 rep?!?!
It’s a shame to see the people we elected. Nothing has been done for the fourth district since the representative took office. Why hasn’t the governor addressed the controversial greedy bill? Why are politicians allowed to leave office with so much money after only one term? Why aren’t we addressing the real issues? We keep talking about tourism, what else those tourists see here besides the sun, sand,and sea? The U.S. is preparing for its next change in power. Should we wait and see what happens next? There are many things we should be doing now. I don’t believe this government is ready to lead us into the future.
The 1st, 2nd, 7th, 8th and 9th too.
we need start picking our 4th district rep from now…the 4th is the lost city
Why so much negativity… and why so personal?? why?? Tourism is all our business and in many cases the source of our livelihood.
Instead of tearing down
our representatives and
getting personal it would
be more meaningful to join
with them in contributing
to the security of our
livelihood.
Write in, call in to them
with ideas that woild
attract visitors and
investors. Come on,
these are OUR islands, our
homes our loved-ones. They
do not belong to our
individual representatives.
We can start by brightening the corner
where we are. Cleaning
up our surroundings.
Getting rid of derelict
vehicles and trash around
our place.
Have a competition maybe
for the schools to
decorate our trash
receptacles – maybe a
competition between
districts. Whatever we
can do to develop a better
and broader tourism
product. Please let we
stand with our
representatives.
Ah yes, the classic “plan to make a plan to strategize a strategy to inform a policy.” Truly groundbreaking stuff. Clearly, this masterstroke of circular brilliance will revolutionize tourism—once they figure out what it even means. Until then, it seems like the only real destination here is Confusion Island.
that was brilliantly put ✌️ / and @ this is your work for 2024 – her pur6 is to say YES or NO and she has performed her her job WONDERFULLY as the rest of her COLLEGUES are doing and that is, looking out for themselves , LORNA WAS trying her best in making sure the people got their INCREMENTS , and look how she got FLEXED OFF ON , SO LETS OPEN OUR EYES AND OBSERVE PUFF DIDDY WHEATIE ARROGANCE / HEY AM IN CHARGE , AND ABSOLUTELY – NO INSURBORDINATION WILL BE ATOLERATED
Alvera 2.0 nice person but very useless, don’t contribute in the HOA and does nothing in the district.
For a forward looking tourism plan the key word is “niche”. Hence, niche tourism, not mass tourism.
Roger Burnett
Justin. I agree to agree, agreeably. What you are speaking is the naked truth. I second the notion. We need to claim, reclaim and protect our country now.
Luce the next time they come by your office tell Kiss dem mudda Sky.
just impose a tax for businesses that benefit from tourism.
Always mention stakeholders. Maybe, just maybe having some actual long time visitors on the board could add some helpful insight. Of course, no one wants to hear the truth that BVI on fast track to #1 Caribbean shithole.
1) WHEN in January?
2) WHICH January?
3) WHERE will it be held?
4) Will it be a physical or virtual symposium?
5) WHY in January – the MIDDLE of HIGH Season?
6) WHO will be invited? As a hotelier, I’ve yet to see ANY correspondence inviting us to participate or collaborate.
While a ‘step’ in the right direction, so many missing components.
At this stage….. disappointing doesn’t begin to describe my thoughts on this.
I left this comment before but it was never published…..
Question(s)
1) WHICH January will the ‘summit’ be held?
2) WHEN in January is the summit for? (dates, time)
3) WHERE is the venue? Which platform??
4) Will it be a virtual event? A physical space?
5) WHO’s invited to the event? As a stakeholder, I’ve yet to receive information….
6) WHY is something that’s so important being held in the MIDDLE of HIGH Season?
7) WHO was asked about TIMING (referencing Q6)
Kudos on the initiative but announcing in December about a summit in January demonstrates lack of foresight and planning. We couldn’t be as ‘valuable’ nor could Tourism be an important pillar if you insult and diminish our time and value with such short notice.