BVI takes proactive approach to cruise tourism
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| Published on Wednesday, May 28, 2008 |
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ROAD TOWN, BVI: The British Virgin Islands is taking a more pro-active approach to cruise tourism with the establishment of a standing committee to liaise with the Florida Caribbean Cruise Association (FCCA) on matters pertaining to the industry.
The members are the President of the FCCA; the Permanent Secretaries in the Premier’s Office and the Ministry of Communications and Works, Managing Director of the BVI Ports Authority, Acting Chairman of the British Virgin Islands Tourist Board and two other members to be named.
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| Premier of the British Virgin Islands Ralph O’Neal |
Premier Ralph O’Neal and Minister for Communications and Works Julian Fraser, met with representatives from the FCCA last week to discuss matters of cruise tourism and its implementation and impact in the BVI.
After the meeting the Premier hosted a dinner at the Bitter End Yacht Club for the six-member FCCA delegation and representatives from the Territory’s cruise tourism industry.
The Premier in his brief remarks thanked the members of the FCCA for attending the meeting and those persons in the cruise tourism industry for making the meeting possible. He added that government is prepared to support the cruise tourism industry.
Government is showing its support to the cruise tourism industy by honouring an agreement the previous administration made to expand the cruise pier. Work is slated to begin on the expansion in July and should be completed by mid-December.
“The honouring of the agreement to expand the cruise pier is a sign on the part of the BVI to show that we are ready, willing and capable of cooperating with the cruise tourism industry and we want to hear the same from the FCCA,” Fraser said.
Minister Fraser stressed that the cruise tourism industry is very competitive and added that the meeting was the perfect opportunity for members of the FCCA to ensure everyone is aware of their respective agendas.
President of the FCCA Michelle Paige said, “We want to be your partner and looked at as goodwill ambassadors together. We are very good at achieving our goals and we want to help you to be able to achieve yours and I think one of the things that we underlined today is we cannot possibly do it alone.”
The FCCA works with governments, ports and all private/public sector representatives to maximise cruise passenger, cruise line and cruise line employee spending, as well as enhancing the destination experience and the amount of cruise passengers returning as stay-over visitors.
The FCCA is a not-for-profit trade organisation comprised of eleven member cruise lines operating more than 100 vessels in Floridian, Caribbean and Latin American waters. |
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