Travel magazine survey lists VG, JVD, Tortola among top-25 C’bean islands for 2020 before COVID-19
A survey from the New York-based Travel + Leisure magazine has reported that the British Virgin Islands was a dominant destination among the top 25 islands in the Caribbean for 2020 before the COVID-19 pandemic crashed the global tourism industry.
In its pre-pandemic World’s Best Awards survey which closed on March 2 this year, three of the BVI’s main islands Virgin Gorda, Jost Van Dyke and Tortola made the list that was topped by another British Overseas Territory, Anguilla.
Sitting at fourth with a score of 85.10 out of 100 is Virgin Gorda, which made the list for a tenth consecutive time.
The sister island was highlighted for its trails and wild tropical foliage. The beaches were described as pristine and having stunning rock formations, with special reference made to The Baths.
“Hikes are rewarded with panoramic views of neighbouring islands (head to Gorda Peak, the island’s highest, for the best vantage point),” the travel magazine said in a July 8 report.
Jost Van Dyke makes top 10
Also making it into the top ten of the list was Jost Van Dyke, which collected a score of 84.17 to place ninth.
“This tiny Virgin lures yachties to alluring sandy stretches such as White Bay and Great Harbour, and draws drinkers to the beach bars that preside there, including the infamous Soggy Dollar Bar and Foxy’s,” the magazine stated.
It added: “If sipping Painkillers as you stand in warm waist-deep water is your kind of thing, then this rugged and rustic three-square-mile island is your kind of place.”
Tortola ties for 23rd
In the meantime, the mainland of Tortola placed 23rd on the list to be tied with neighbouring island of St Martin with a score of 80.29.
Tortola was described as the home to the BVI’s capital and the perfect launchpad for exploration of the waters that have made it the sailing capital of the Caribbean.
“While diving and snorkelling are worthy underwater pursuits, lush mountains, scalloped harbours, and evocatively named beaches such as Apple Bay and Smuggler’s Cove tempt visitors on land,” the magazine stated.
Necker Island makes top 25 resort hotels list
Meanwhile, the BVI also appeared on Travel + Leisure magazine’s list of the Top 25 Resort Hotels in the Caribbean, Bermuda, & the Bahamas.
The list was topped by Secret Bay resort in Portsmouth, Dominica with a score of 98.60 while two Jamaican resorts to the second and third spots. However, those closely followed by Sir Richard Branson’s Necker Island which tallied 96.62 to place fourth.
According to the magazine, the results reflect their readers’ experiences before the pandemic.
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Now that’s funny and rich with irony, as we in the BVI are throwing this away and hiding in fear behind our closed borders! Travelers are fickle and will remember those who welcomed them while we were closed.
Heck, we won’t even let our relatives from the U.S. Virgin Islands in. BVI/USVI Friendship my @$$. With friends like us who needs enemies?
Why don’t you become a guinea pig and go drink a pint of COVID 19 and then afterwards tell us if you still feel the same way? Jack A–
Yes Travel and Leisure did report this no thanks to the Tourist Board. By the way what is the Tourist Board doing other than collecting paychecks? The morons in the government are keeping the gates closed. No tourists. The BVI is being reported closed in many travel magazines and online articles while neighboring islands are open for business. The governments harm they are causing will take years to recover from if ever as people find new Caribbean islands for vacation. Do you think people are going to invest in catamarans and keep them anchored for charter in the BVI if they can’t rent them out. NO!!! They are and will move elsewhere. Do you think people will build Villas, hotels or tourist related businesses. NO!! They will seek other locations where the government isn’t filled with people who are enjoying the money they reap from the public coffers while the population slowly dies. Raise your voices and make these people do what the people wish. THEY WORK FOR THE PEOPLE!!!
People don’t realize Covid-19 is a lesser concern. People are out of work meaning they are struggling to feed their family, drain their savings. And that’s if you’re fortunate enough to have a savings. Hunger and psychological issues will kill faster that this disease a few years down the line. Open the country and let people earn money.
Do you not see how USVI sprung from 4 to over 120 Active Cases in days???????
Our size in comparison to other islands is too small and the virus can spread quicker especially since we all know social distancing is not being practiced by many.
You go into establishments including Government offices and staff are not wearing masks to serve you yet customers must wear a mask to receive service.
A number of residents are also wearing their mask with their nostrils out in the open.
Then you have th US and other countries who insist on not wearing a mask ready to attack others for enforcing the requirement. People are out of their minds.
THE IGNORANCE IS RAMPANT.
And the USVI and other places are proving that COVID-19 is not a death sentence. Way, way more recoveries than deaths. More people in the BVI will probably die from economic distress than from COVID-19. Except for the ruling class and government employees, of course!
tourist board keeps sending irrelevant Instagram posts with no information. It’s stupid. A lot of islands have nice places that are open for business. Keep your head in the sand.
With all the revenues Virgin Gorda has been pulling in at the Baths, Govt needs to do better with that place every time it comes to spending the’re pinching the money and still have sloppy works been done, The lower end facilities are so ghetto no proper toilets,no showers,nothing bad smelling septic its So tacky, then you have limited vendors, beaches like that should have more activities happening some guest are use to seeing big rocks / boulders so at times they becomes bored at the first glance even thou some guest love to relax in the sun it have those who love to have fun in the sun.
The baths are beautiful, but the facilities are of a third world country.
Look at the cheap @a** painted arrows on the boulders to show directions. Please….
Go siddung!!
As a tourism based business I want to know what plans are in the pipeline in terms of opening for the people polled in this article to be able to get here.
The silence from the Gov and Tourist Board is deafening.
At the moment I think it’s best to let all my staff go and close completely. (I only have BV Islander staff)
Literally cut the losses and bunker down.
Covid is coming to the BVI whether the employed population like it or not.
What plans have been put in place to manage tourist arrivals?
I fully understand that the fiasco in the US is not helping but please give business owners some guidelines so we can fiscally plan ahead.
Places like Hawaii require people to be tested 72 hours prior to arrival with a COVID negative test in hand. There needs to be some communication. People are going broke and for a disease with a 99.8% survival rate. BVI is soon becoming irrelevant and government can’t find their butt with both hands.