In the Nov. 13 edition of the Beacon, I wrote about the importance of using results — not assumptions — to understand the economic impact of tourism events in the Virgin Islands. Many people responded positively, saying it was refreshing to see a more analytical, transparent approach to how we measure activity in our economy.
But there is a subsequent part to this conversation, and it is just as important: how the data is actually collected, especially in a territory like ours.
The truth is simple: Data doesn’t collect itself. Not in the VI. Not anywhere.
And here in the VI — where we are still building the digital information tools needed for automatic data capture — data does not appear unless we go out and ask for it. That means everything from planning future events to improving traffic, tourism flow and business opportunities depends on the information businesses provide.
If we want accurate numbers about how events affect local businesses — who benefits, who doesn’t and where the opportunities are — then the public service must go directly to the people who experience it: you, the business operators.
In coordination with the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Sustainable Development, I have therefore launched an anonymous survey to gather feedback from businesses on the recent UberSoca Cruise. The survey is available at bviprojectoffice.com/bvibusiness, and broad participation will help us produce a clearer, more accurate assessment.
Why we need your voice
When a major event happens — whether it’s a cruise call, cultural festival, sports gathering or concert — people often debate whether it was “good for business.” Some say it was busy; others say it wasn’t.
But feelings aren’t facts.
Surveys are the only structured way to understand who saw increased sales, who didn’t, what visitors actually spent money on, what they were looking for but couldn’t find, and how timing, traffic, routing and logistics shaped business flow.
Good surveys — clear, short and anonymous — often provide the first and only reliable truth about what really happened. To ensure the survey was fair and straightforward, each question focuses only on business activity — not personal details — and the survey is fully anonymous.
It was created using secure, web-based tools that record responses without identifying individual businesses. This approach keeps the process consistent and focused on the information needed to understand what actually happened during the event.
And in a territory where decisions are often made with limited data, even a rough measurement is better than flying blind. But none of this works unless businesses actively participate.
Hands-on approach
One thing we cannot do — and should not expect — is to drop a survey link online and hope that hundreds of responses magically appear. That is not how data collection works in a small island economy. Real participation requires real engagement.
That is why, for this business-impact survey, a public service representative may call your business, visit in person, or be present in high-traffic areas to meet business owners directly. To be completely transparent, I will also visit businesses myself.
This is not intrusive and not surveillance. It is responsible, and it is the only way to gather meaningful numbers that reflect the real experience of local businesses across the VI.
Meeting business owners in person reduces confusion about the purpose of the survey, shows respect for people’s time and business, and often leads to clearer and more accurate responses. Most importantly, it ensures every sector has a voice — not just the ones who happen to see the link online.
It also sends an important message: The public service is collecting data not to store it away, but to use it. When data is ignored, people lose trust. When data is collected and decisions improve, participation increases. This is how a healthier data culture is built in an island country or territory.
What the media revealed
Local reporting provided useful context to the UberSoca Cruise visit. Thousands of visitors moved through a single, concentrated j’ouvert procession, routed largely between the pier and the tramp. Many residents raised concerns about school closures, traffic redirection and mid-day disruptions. Some passengers said their cruise stop was focused mostly on the event itself, not typical tourism activities.
None of this is criticism. This is context.
These observations do not determine whether the event was successful. If anything, they highlight why data is needed — because only evidence can show what actually happened across sectors.
Your responses help us move from speculation (“It must have been busy”) to clarity (“Here is what businesses experienced across Road Town and the VI overall”).
Understanding impact
In planning large entertainment-focused cruise events, a significant portion of resources naturally goes toward staging, production and creating a concentrated visitor experience. In this case, investments were directed toward building a j’ouvert-style event and coordinating artists, sound, security, site preparation and logistics for thousands of guests moving along a single route. This helps explain why activity was highly concentrated in specific areas while other businesses saw little or no impact.
None of this is criticism — it is simply the reality of the type of event that was designed. And this is exactly why data is so important: It helps us understand what the event delivered, where the benefits were felt, and how future designs might be shaped to support wider economic success.
In fact, one of the broader goals behind hosting special cruise activities — including this one — is to strengthen the long-term visitor pipeline. For several years, the public service has been working on ways to convert cruise passengers into future overnight guests through incentives, return-trip promotions and improved visitor engagement.
Events like UberSoca were seen by the public service as opportunities to introduce new visitors to the VI and encourage them to come back for a longer stay. But whether this actually happened depends entirely on what businesses observed on the ground — and that is why this survey matters.
Your responses help us determine whether the event supported these long-term tourism objectives or whether different strategies are needed going forward.
Helping the entire VI
The economic analysis conducted before the event was a projection — a model based on an earlier description of how the event schedule would look. At the time the analysis was made known to the public, the final UberSoca event schedule provided to the public service — including the ship’s expected arrival and departure times — was different from what was originally described.
These schedule changes are normal in cruise operations, but they also mean that some of the assumptions used in the pre-event projection no longer matched the real conditions businesses experienced on the ground. And that is exactly why a post-event business-impact survey is essential.
Now that the event has actually taken place, the impact survey allows us to compare that projection to what actually happened and understand what worked, what didn’t work, and where improvement is needed.
Think of it as making a weather forecast — and now checking the actual weather so we can produce a more accurate report next time.
This isn’t an inspection. This isn’t compliance enforcement. This is working together. The survey helps us understand how money moved through the economy during a major event — which businesses benefited, which faced disruptions, and how future opportunities can be better.
When you take a few minutes to share your experience, you are helping your sector, the public service’s planning teams, future visitors, and the next generation of VI-based businesses.
‘Help us learn’
Even with a strong outreach effort, we still need your help.
If you know another business owner — in retail, services, food, taxis, charters or hospitality — please encourage them to complete the survey. The more responses we receive, the more accurate and useful the final analysis will be.
This effort depends on the voices of real businesses. None of this works without your participation.
If you have not yet taken the survey, please go to the website listed above and do so.
And feel free to pass the link on to other business operators. Every response helps the VI make better decisions and benefit from clearer, stronger evidence.
Thank you for adding your voice, and for encouraging others to add theirs.
Mr. Skeete is the Virgin Islands national consultant for the United Nations Development Programme.
