In January, we breathed a sigh of relief when the government announced a series of public meetings about the national tourism plan it is promising by October.
Finally, we thought, the whole community would get a chance to weigh in on the way forward for the crucial economic pillar that is the territory’s largest employer.
But after eight meetings, government suddenly cancelled the remaining six in April and announced plans to replace them with “target focus group sessions.”
This move was disappointing, especially given that many people likely planned around the original schedule.
Premier Natalio “Sowande” Wheatley attributed the cancellations to low attendance. But he did not provide figures, leaving the public to speculate on the actual level of engagement.
Government, meanwhile, has not provided details about the “target focus group sessions.” No schedule has been released, and no one has explained how attendees will be chosen or who will be welcome to participate.
Moving forward, the government should take the following steps:
• hold at least one more general public meeting in Road Town and another at H. Lavity Stoutt Community College after a broad advertising campaign designed to draw as many residents as possible;
• better explain the “target focus group sessions” as well as releasing a full schedule and inviting everyone to attend; and
• provide a comprehensive update on the previous meetings, including a summary of attendance numbers and the matters discussed there.
The national tourism plan, which has been delayed for about two decades, is urgently needed.
The Virgin Islands’ tourism industry is poised to expand rapidly, and the territory’s resources are delicate, finite and under increasing threat.
But government’s tourism decisions have often taken the form of haphazard knee-jerk reactions rather than progressive reforms.
At times, they have benefitted one of the three main sub-sectors — land-based properties, yachting, or cruise ships — with no real consideration for the others.
The antidote to such bad policy is a tourism plan created with substantial public input. But it must be done right.
The government, then, must reaffirm its commitment to inclusive policy-making by facilitating an open, transparent and collaborative process as it moves ahead. The territory’s future depends on it.
