Draft cruise tourism policy submitted in BVI
Saturday, April 3, 2004
ROAD TOWN, BVI: Chief Minister of the
British Virgin Islands, Dr. D. Orlando Smith has underscored the importance of
the cruise industry in the BVI, saying it must be managed as part of the wider
tourism sector, which is vital to the local economy.
The Chief Minister made the remark at a news conference on Thursday, during
which he received a draft report on cruise tourism in the Territory from
Chairman of the BVI Tourist Board (BVITB) Mr. Russell Harrigan.
He pointed out that Government will immediately begin reviewing the report and
that its recommendations are likely to be implemented within the next three
months. The document will eventually be made public and tabled at the
Legislative Council. Dr. Smith commended the
Tourist Board for embarking on what he said was a “significant amount of work”
in conducting public consultations throughout the Territory, hearing the
concerns of residents and other stakeholders in the tourism sector, and
preparing the final report. In brief remarks,
Mr. Harrigan said the Territory’s cruise tourism must focus on ownership,
management and sustainability of the sub-sector; experience of cruise
visitors; provision, monitoring and carrying capacity of infrastructure; value
to the BVI economy rather than passenger volumes; and enforcement of the
policy when approved. He noted that one of
the principal strategic issues facing the tourism sector in the BVI is the
overall management of the industry in the context of its essential
contribution to the Territory’s economy. “It
is absolutely critical that we manage our tourism sector if it is to be
successful in the future,” he said. “In so doing, we must be cognizant of the
needs of all of our visitors, while at the same time being very aware of the
aspirations and concerns of our host community.”
In a letter to the BVITB dated December 4, 2003, the Chief Minister stated
that a policy on the sub-sector is “urgently needed” to avoid further
escalation of conflicts between cruise line and land-based tourists.
“I fear that if such a policy is not adopted by Government, we run the risk of
discouraging our repeat visitors,” he said in the correspondence.
Consequently, the Board was mandated to prepare a draft policy on cruise
tourism in the BVI. The process involved
conducting a series of public consultations with residents, holding meetings
with stakeholders and Government agencies, obtaining feedback via an email
address on the BVITB’s website and researching the subject area at the
regional and international levels.
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