Signs abound that the coming tourism high season will be successful, building on travellers’ positive impressions of the Virgin Islands and showing that the demand to vacation here remains strong.
But the territory must not rest on its laurels. To ensure that the sector stays sustainable over the long term, action is urgently needed.
At the top of the list is completing a national tourism plan, which should be preceded by extensive public meetings and other opportunities for community input.
Successive governments, including Premier Natalio “Sowande” Wheatley’s, have been promising such a plan for more than 15 years. The delays are inexcusable, and Mr. Wheatley must put aside excuses and get it done straightaway.
The creation of a national tourism plan would help drive the conversation on many urgent issues. For instance, what level of visitors should the VI target in the various subsectors? How can policymakers ensure that businesses and workers benefit optimally from the industry? How much pressure can the territory’s delicate ecosystems withstand before sustaining irreversible damage?
Currently, the government appears to be scrambling to expand all tourism subsectors as quickly as possible. Not surprisingly, this approach has led to a troubling trajectory.
The first six months of this year set a tourism record, bringing the most total visitor arrivals of any first half in VI history. But the record was driven mostly by a dramatic post-pandemic surge in cruise ship passengers, while overnight visitor numbers for the first half of this year were nearly 24 percent below their 2017 first-half peak of about 243,000.
These numbers raise big questions for a territory where overnight visitors — who include yacht charterers and guests at land-based resorts and villas — have historically brought in the great majority of total tourism revenue.
Such questions must be addressed collaboratively through public consultations and then codified in the national tourism plan. And this process should be completed before even contemplating the sort of dramatic growth that could come from the planned extension of the runway at the Terrance B. Lettsome International Airport.
Besides the tourism plan, action is urgently needed in other areas as well. Much of it includes common-sense measures that would benefit visitors and residents alike.
Two much-discussed issues — better clean-up efforts and improved customer service — are relatively cheap and easy to implement by both the public and private sectors. Another no-brainer is facilitating more efficient processes at ports of entry.
Over the medium and long term, officials should also streamline processes for small tourism businesses. While the fledgling online work permit system is a positive example, we see no reason other government agencies — including those that handle vessel registration and trade licensing — can’t follow suit.
Additionally, there’s an obvious need to tackle major infrastructure challenges including roads, water pipes, sewerage works and trash disposal. No one visits a tourist destination for its infrastructure, but they’ll stay away if it is lacking.
Other needed steps involve protecting the environment that draws tourists in the first place.
To that end, government should move ahead with measures such as preventing developers from causing too much run-off, increasing fines for irresponsible boaters who anchor on reefs, and even requiring the use of reef-safe sunscreen.
Freeing up millions in funds for projects for the stalled Climate Change Trust Fund would be another big step the right direction.
There are various signs that the coming high season will be a success. Businesses are reporting strong bookings, the Peter Island Resort has reopened, and the recent annual Fall Charter Yacht Show attracted 53 boats and a record 147 brokers.
But leaders must focus far beyond one season. To that end, collaborative planning and thoughtful execution are essential.
