The recent seaport reopening has come with some “teething pains,” but it has been an overall success, Premier Andrew Fahie said on April 29 in the House of Assembly. Between …
May 7, 2021
May 5, 2021
2020 tourism industry revenue dipped nearly $280m
Although the dramatic pandemic-related slowdown in the tourism industry is evident from the Virgin Islands’ uncrowded beaches and vacant hotel rooms, statistics Premier Andrew Fahie presented to the House of …
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May 3, 2021
Cruise ships could home-port here soon
Cruise ships would be able to start and end their journeys in the Virgin Islands under a proposed law introduced recently in the House of Assembly as part of efforts …
April 21, 2021
COMMENTARY — Regional tourism recovery predicted
Recently published visitor arrival figures indicate that Caribbean tourism has started down the long road to recovery. Following a disastrous 2020 during which governments closed borders to try to halt …
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April 14, 2021
EDITORIAL: Vaccine passports could help jump-start tourism
As the Virgin Islands reopens its seaports to international arrivals this week, leaders should expedite plans for a system designed to ease entry requirements for anyone who has been vaccinated. …
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April 8, 2021
Coming to VI now more costly
Travellers arriving in the Virgin Islands during the Covid-19 pandemic are now required to pay more on top of the $175 fee charged to enter through the BVI Gateway portal. …
March 23, 2021
Disease still killing stony corals in Virgin Islands
An aggressive disease that can quickly kill stony corals has spread to at least 21 sites in the territory’s waters, according to a video released this month by the National …
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February 26, 2021
Opposition leader calls for ‘stimulus 2.0’
As the first anniversary of the Covid-19 pandemic approaches, Opposition Leader Marlon Penn recently highlighted a need for additional relief while addressing the pandemic, the tourism industry and other economic …
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February 15, 2021
EDITORIAL: Vaccines are the way out of Covid
Vaccination is a very personal choice, but it has ramifications for all of society. We therefore urge all residents who feel comfortable taking the Covid-19 vaccine to get the shot …
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December 17, 2020
9 new Covid cases announced
Since the borders opened to tourists on Dec. 1, the Virgin Islands has nine active cases of Covid-19 among recent arrivals, some of whom recently breached quarantine procedures, officials said …
December 16, 2020
December 13, 2020
Two tourists test positive for Covid
The day before seaports were scheduled to reopen to tourists, government on Monday bumped the date to Jan. 21 and announced that a visitor who arrived last week had tested …
December 7, 2020
EDITORIAL: As borders reopen, better safe than sorry
In recent weeks, there has been much debate about the border reopening that got under way last week, but now everyone must work together to achieve success as tourism returns. …
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December 5, 2020
After eight months, tourists welcomed back
As the late afternoon sun beat down on the tarmac of the Terrance B. Lettsome International Airport on Tuesday, two flights carrying visitors touched down. Aboard one of the planes …
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December 4, 2020
Regional tourism stats grim
Even as Caribbean countries including the Virgin Islands cautiously reopen their borders to tourists, new statistics from the Caribbean Tourism Organisation’s November report illustrate the havoc the Covid- 19 pandemic …
November 5, 2020
Biz info released, but reopening website not launched
The standards that businesses must meet ahead of the Dec. 1 border reopening became a bit clearer this week with new information released about “gold seal” staff training requirements. However, …
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October 30, 2020
VI wary as US heads to polls
An old adage proclaims, “When the United States sneezes, the world catches a cold.” As the country heads into a presidential election next Tuesday amid the Covid-19 pandemic, that wisdom …
October 30, 2020
Reopening plan sparks outcry, cancellations
Premier Andrew Fahie on Monday announced the official protocols for tourists to enter the Virgin Islands, which include four rounds of testing for Covid-19, four days of quarantine within approved …
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October 22, 2020
Amid questions, tourism industry prepares for reopening
With a new tourism season set to start on Dec. 1, hotels are outfitting rooms, boats are getting back on the water, restaurants are stocking up, and many other businesses …
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October 18, 2020
Stakeholders debate bubble tourism, quarantine rules
During a series of closed-door stakeholder meetings hosted by the BVI Tourist Board over the past week, business owners in the tourism sectors of small hotels, transportation and tour operations …
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October 8, 2020
Draft reopening protocols complete but not public
With less than seven weeks until the Virgin Islands’ borders are set to reopen to non-residents for the first time since late March, government has launched a series of meetings …
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September 24, 2020
Borders to open to tourism on Dec. 1
Pink flamingos and flourishing reefs were among the scenes in a video premiere launching “BVI Love,” a marketing campaign geared toward bringing tourism back to the territory on Dec. 1. …
September 17, 2020
Cruise ships with no passengers can now dock
The Virgin Islands closed to cruise ships on March 14, three days after the World Health Organization declared Covid-19 a pandemic. Now, six months later, cruise ships might finally return …
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August 25, 2020
EDITORIAL: Plan for tourism opening needed now
Following the government’s recent announcement that expatriates will be allowed to enter the territory starting in September, one big question remains about plans for the border reopening: When will tourists …
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August 19, 2020
EDITORIAL: Government right to reopen borders to expats
The government is right to use caution when reopening the borders during the pandemic, but we are glad that leaders have finally announced a plan to allow the return of …
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