Where is govt’s promised online portal for tourists?
As it continues to lobby for consultations with the government, the BVI Chamber of Commerce and Hotel Association (BVICCHA) said business owners are asking about the status of the BVI’s online portal where visitors must register before traveling here.
The portal, BVI Gateway (http://bvigateway.bviaa.com/) was proposed to be launched on November 2. Visitors are mandated to use it to register and upload their relevant documents at least 48 hours before their intended flights.
Among a slew of concerns, the BVICCHA said its members are asking why the portal hasn’t been launched as promised.
The BVI is less than two weeks away from officially reopening its borders to visitors. And up to the time of publication of this article, the portal still appeared to be under construction with the message, “Coming soon – Check back later”.
In the meantime, the Association also said it does not believe the quarantine protocols are conducive to the urgent needs of the yachting sector.
“The industry needs to be engaged so that creative solutions can be provided as the majority of visitors will not want to be confined to their vessel for four days of their average seven-day visit,” a statement from BVICCHA read.
The association is also calling for the government to release an economic plan that will show how it plans to revive the economy.
“Now is the time to have a full economic plan (not to be confused with a reopening plan) that addresses how to avert more business closures, higher unemployment, and hundreds of cancellations in the hospitality and yachting sectors while restoring customer confidence,” BVICCHA said.
“The existing and even new market confidence is at an all-time low. We are losing more of it each day that passes without a complete reopening plan. The 2020/2021 season has been dealt a heavy blow and without an immediate major change in the policymaker’s attitude, tourism is on its way to a death sentence,” the statement read.
The BVICCHA has previously expressed that it is disappointed in the government’s refusal to engage the Association in discussions relating to the territory’s December 1 reopening.
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its not released because the Govt is not ready and doesn’t want anyone here. They are throttling the entry which is great for the health of the people but not the economy. Hopefully they have another Stimulus planned and SS is going to start paying unemployment or otherwise everyone will start hustling.
Give the government a break. It will happen soon. I applaud the Government’s efforts.
Why??? It was the Government that stipulated it would hae the Portal up on November 2. The Government is chronically late, and anyone who has dealt with the Premier knows HE is chronically late. How many times did we wait for hours after announcements were supposed to be made. A SERIOUS Government is punctual. Among other things, this shows respect for the people who elected it. So why do you say give the Government a break? If the job was so hard, they could have projected a different date, or even announced a change. BUT NOOOO. It was, and still is, supposed to be Nov 2. Except it isn’t. Going by past Government Performance, the Protocol will likely be up 48 hours before December 1, which will keep it from working for the first people in, adjustments will have to be made, visitors will be furious, and the Government will wonder why. And we will be told this is in the cause of BVI LOVE! Again.
Clearly they are working out the knots. It will happen.
Cause it’s just a promise
It’s doesn’t mean the government will full fill it
He got none
This premier is worst than trump
He doesn’t care about the people period.
The VIP is running a one man show and we all know one man cant do everything
You fraud just go sit down. We know that you are speaking nonsense.
The quarantine is not 4 days but rather 6. The day a tourist arrives is day “0”. Day 4 is really day 5 of their week. Then testing again and release on day 6. Thus a tourist only has one day of a seven day vacation out of quarantine. This is how math and calendar days are calculated in the BVI. I would advise being upfront with this as tourists who experience this nonsense will be pissed and post it on social media. Once that happens no one will be coming.
Check out the cancellations and lack of bookings.
No one is coming.
Tourist arrival is day 0.
On Day 4 they test.
A negative result allows them to roam freely. Recheck your information. So if someone arrives on Monday, Friday they are allowed out of quarantine.
The government has handled this Covid-19 situation well so give them a chance and stop fussing for everything.
This government useless they are going to kill the tourist industry in the BVI they don’t have a clue what they are doing.
The tourist industry in the BVI will never die unless the BVI landscape and natural resources change for the worse. When one business fail others will rise to take its place because people still love the BVI. We’re not perfect and never will be but don’t hold your breath trying to count us out. We’ve heard these tales of gloom and doom before and even before power was back on in every building the tourist were back in a broken and beaten BVI after Irma.
There are many places in the Caribbean more beautiful than the BVI, and the tourists who cannot return here this year will find those other places and never look back.
The BVI isn’t the most beautiful but check all the popular and prestigious magazines and travel blogs and check who’s always in one of the top spots. Obama could have vacation anywhere in the world but he didn’t went to one of the many other beautiful places in the Caribbean he chose the BVI. Beauty isn’t everything or the only thing. The BVI and the US are the only places in the world where people beg and cry to stay.
Obama is a slug that came to the BVI to set up an offshore account to hide the millions he stole while in office. He used a vacation to validate the trip. Also he stayed with his white friends on Virgin Gorda not with the Belongers. The Africans love him because he speaks so well unlike the rest. If he liked the BVI so much or his brethren Africans in Chicago why is he living in Hawaii. You people are still stupid you can’t see the forest for the trees
Don’t talk Shyte. There are many beautiful places in the world where no one goes because the government sucks.
Venezuela?
I am still trying to figure out. Why we didn’t accept the portal CARICOM offered to us for free. Instead the BVIAA trying to use the same source as CARICOM to reinvent the wheel, (Thas what taking so long), den billing government to use it as they would own it.
Why the constant money grab opportunity during this time.
So by not accepting the portal used by other countries in the region it would make it harder for us to be in the travel bubble watch and see.
Even the government they cutting people water in this crisis can you imagine that.
If ayo belly hurting it is the Government fault. Go pay your dam bill or workout a payment plan. Sick of some of ayo.
Go make arrangements to pay your bill and stop making it so difficult.
BVI GATEWAY TRAVELLER’S AUTHORIZATION PORTAL
Launching Monday, November 2, 2020.
These are unprecedented times we are living in. Based on your report here, we don’t know the landlords financials and why he is apparently not willing to work with his tenants during this difficult time as per you.
Whatever his reasoning, in my view, $500 is better than nothing. Certainly illegally evicting all his tenants is not going to pay his bank note so something is not adding up here.
I understand him having to pay his bank note, but if he does not have tenants at all, I don’t get how he is going to pay the bank at all. Is there some other reason he wants his tenants gone?
If I was the land lord, and I had good and paying tenants, I would be inclined to work out a payment arrangement with my tenants until they can catch up so that I can at least meet my bank note obligation. But then, that’s just me.
Now, there are some people despite an olive leaf extended to them will not do the right thing and pay up as agreed. They may agree to the payment arrangement and fail to fulfill their obligations to pay as agreed.
I think if these tenants can sit down with their landlord and lay bare truthfully their financial situation to their landlord, maybe he might have a change of heart and work with them.
Wish everyone the best.
But this is how Dear Leader operates. Smoke and mirrors…
From torurism:
The website isn’t operational because the local contracted to perform the work is still learning web design and computer programming. We expect him to be marginally proficient by February. Until then, please refer all inquiries to the Premier.
There was a website designer on island, but being an expat, his immigration status was revoked right before the announcement for reopening.
We are exploring options that will offer speedier rectification of this matter. We have contracted a consultant in Miami to provide options. They will then place in in touch with a third party organization who should be able to make the site ready by Christmas.
As always, resilience and BVI love.
Your tourism department.
Carry on.
BVI economy…Coming Soon – Check Back Later!
What do you expect with Pinky and the Brain micromanaging everything?
Dont bother with a portal. There will be NO tourists with a 4 day quarantine.
It’s 6 days. Do the count. No one is coming
The Jamaican cronies were employed to do this portal and provide the tracking bracelets and the immigration system .
Why do I suspect that the government has paid them half or more of the vast sum they were charging and that their Jamaican pals are now doing the watch the airplanes disappear trick?
In 2 years we will have a new Government and a new investigation and the cycle will start again. Who really loves the BVI Buddy?
Are there any smart people experienced in that party in decision making positions?
Well, at least the score is now it appears, even. Both parties got had.. Jamwho???
This is what you all voted for, nobody is crying out, everyone afraid to talk, as we used to say long ago, “TIS GOOD!!!!” All this Government is doing is bombarding group chats with fear and nonsense pretending as if they’re doing work. If the Premier picks up a plastic bottle from the roadside he will have a picture and flyer with BVILOVE and “Your Government working for you!”. The BVI people are DUMB DUMB DUMB and deserve this Government. I am local btw but I don’t feel sorry one bit because voting has consequences. All who feared the island men are now afraid of the full breed local, imagine that.
Oh so the last government was sooooo much better! Give me a damn break. This administration has made way more progress than the last did in 8 years. You are just sour and sore still. Sit and stew, VIP ain’t going nowhere.
Micromanaged and dictated from the top what do you expect?
Like the so many other promises made by the VIP
my husband a bvi belonger has worked in every sector of the bvi government proposed a reputable and ready to go online portal for tourists. he presented this application many months ago.
ah lie yu a tell