Everywhere a sign
The BVI Tourist Board is installing large signs around the territory as Instagram-ready photo ops, and they are similar to ones already appearing in destinations around the world. But social media never misses an opportunity to complain, and a Beaconite has heard gripes about the placement, the size, and the cost of the signs. However, she thinks they’re actually a great, low-cost, low-impact way to build name recognition for the VI as a destination and showcase local artists. Often, cruise shippers visit so many ports that they aren’t sure where they are, but a photo in front of one of these signs may jog their memory and increase the chance they’ll return and tell their friends. Indeed, she suspects the signs will bring in many more tourist dollars than they cost to install, and ultimately put the territory on better financial footing. The Beaconite believes the BVITB made the right move.
Groundhog day
Early in his tenure at the Beacon, a Beaconite was told something by an older colleague that has stuck with him. Many of the big issues this newspaper covers never really go away. Indeed, time and time again, he has found himself adding years’ worth of previous news coverage onto the end of a story about some recurring governmental failure or scandal that never gets resolved — or, as is the case this week, a chronically broken piece of infrastructure. He is referring, of course, to the Pockwood Pond incinerator, which last week suffered the latest in a series of fires that shuttered its operations. Typically, this just leads to fires in different places, as combustible trash dumped on the landfill behind the incinerator has started blazes in the past. The government did recently pay a consultant some $400,000 for a plan to deal with the landfill, but consulting contracts don’t always lead to tangible change. If the Beaconite were a betting man, he would wager good money that even after the incinerator is brought back online, it will remain a newspaper staple for years to come.
Wedding
A Beaconite had the honour of attending a wedding ceremony over the weekend at Lambert Beach Resort. She’s usually accustomed to large, colourful Bangladeshi weddings that span three days, so it was refreshing to attend a smaller ceremony where the theme was gold, purple and white. The ceremony centred around the Christian faith, and the couple found each other through faith. She was touched to hear their vows and witness an event with close-knit friends and family members. The wedding party even took photos with sparklers at nighttime and drone shots with guests shaped in a heart around the bride and groom. The reporter wishes the newlyweds many years of happiness to come.
Perspective
It’s always interesting to get a fresh perspective, which a Beaconite has enjoyed seeing while her family was here to visit for a few weeks. They of course appreciated the natural beauty of the territory and have enjoyed afternoons of snorkelling at sites new even to the reporter. But they’ve also seemed to appreciate learning more about day-to-day life in the Virgin Islands, from finding a favourite coffee shop to chatting with visitors from around the world. The reporter is glad they’ve had time to explore Road Town on their own and experience more of the small businesses that make this community unique, especially a memorable little spice shop. The Beaconite is curious to see how tourism marketing for the VI will continue to evolve as pandemic restrictions lessen and people get the wanderlust bug.