"The light that comes from wisdom never goes out"
Personal safety is the traveller’s most critical consideration. No family wants to go on vacation only to return in caskets. A country may offer spectacular panoramas, hugely significant historical sites, …
Continue reading “COMMENTARY — Safety seen as crucial to tourism”
The Caribbean recorded a 12 percent increase in tourist arrivals during the first quarter of 2019 spurred on by a 24 percent rise in arrivals from the United States, according …
It’s been a long time since Lambert Bay has been crowded with tourists, but that could change soon. The beach’s resort underwent a significant facelift in 2016 and 2017, closing …
Continue reading “Lambert schedules reopening for November 1”
After shutting down following the passage of Hurricane Irma, Necker Island officially reopened in October and has been welcoming groups of up to 30 guests, according to a Virgin Limited …
Continue reading “Necker Island back up and running; no timeline yet for Mosquito”
Snorkelling enthusiasts in the Virgin Islands who don’t have their scuba diving certificates now have an alternative way to explore deeper underwater environments: BVI Snuba. Snuba — first conceived by …
Continue reading “Exploring the depths without a dive certificate”
Cabinet gave the go-ahead at the end of October for government to negotiate a development agreement for Norman Island with Dr. Henry Jarecki, the island’s owner, according to a report …
Scrub Island Resort, Spa & Marina announced a “grand opening” this month after sustaining extensive damage during the passage of Hurricane Irma last year. The announcement means the resort will …
Continue reading “Scrub is back, with full reopening set for Dec. 19”
This article originally appeared in the Beacon’s Sept. 6 “Irma Anniversary” edition. For the some 300 people living on Anegada, day-to-day life is punctuated by boat arrivals. Road Town-based passenger ferries pull …
Continue reading “Anegada “pushing for bigger and better things” after Irma”
This article originally appeared in the Beacon’s Sept. 6 “Irma Anniversary” edition. Like many people throughout the Virgin Islands, Courdney Williams has a very different daily routine than he did 12 months …
Continue reading “Virgin Islands economy takes new shapes after Irma”
Shortly after Premier Dr. Orlando Smith returned from a visit to China this month, government lifted the visa requirement for nationals of that country. Chinese can now enter and remain …
Continue reading “Visa requirement lifted for Chinese tourists”
Premier Dr. Orlando Smith supports Dr. Henry Jarecki’s plan to develop Norman Island. In a message delivered to the Beacon last week through government Communications Director Arliene Penn, Dr. Smith said …
Continue reading “Premier gets behind planned Norman Island development”
On weekday afternoons when no cruise ships have docked in the port, the Tortola Pier Park’s pristine courtyard tends to be a little sleepy. A handful of residents and tourists …
Continue reading “VI ‘slow to prepare’ for big cruise ships”
Lawmakers will vote Monday on a loan guarantee for the BVI Ports Authority to complete construction on the cruise pier project’s landside development, according to the Order Paper outlining Monday’s …
Continue reading “Gov’t to guarantee $15m loan for cruise pier landside works [ORDER PAPER]”
Dominic William O’Carroll, a 67-year-old Irish citizen, is still missing after a search by the United States Coast Guard was called off on Tuesday afternoon.
On Oct. 23, the Norwegian Pearl will arrive in Road Town. It will be the first cruise ship of the 2014-2015 season, during which officials expect nearly 300 cruise ships …
Continue reading “Minister: 600k cruise ship tourists expected this season”
Most of the necessary land-side pilings have already been installed at the territory’s cruise pier development site, and the pilings needed for the pier itself are being installed beginning this …
Continue reading “Cruise development under way [PHOTO GALLERY]”
The BVI Ports Authority’s $50 million plans to extend the cruise ship dock and provide extended facilities for passengers will serve as a “catalyst” and stir a “repositioning” of the …
Continue reading “Premier touts cruise opportunities for businesses”
Though government’s failed cruise pier development deal with the consortium Tortola Ports Partners died about nine months ago, the opposition-led Public Accounts Committee delivered a scathing post-mortem report Friday alleging …
Continue reading “PAC blasts cruise tender process (FULL TEXT)”
The BVI Ports Authority signed a $4.9 million contract with Ports and Marina Services Ltd. on Friday afternoon for work on foundations of the land-side portions of the territory’s cruise …
Continue reading “$4.9m contract signed for land-side cruise works”
The BVI Ports Authority signed a $4.9 million contract with Ports and Marina Services Ltd. on Friday afternoon for work on foundations of the land-side portions of the territory’s cruise …
Continue reading “$4.9m contract signed for land-side cruise works”
Officials called it a red-letter day for the territory as they broke ground Thursday afternoon on the territory’s cruise ship pier expansion, but the “Mount Everest climb” is only half …
Continue reading “Works officially start on cruise ship pier”
At a signing ceremony on Tuesday to ink a $30.7 million contract to extend the territory’s cruise ship pier, Premier Dr. Orlando Smith said he doesn’t mind the continued scrutiny …
Continue reading “PAC probe finds ‘red flags’ in cruise project”
The numbers from the recent cruise ship season are in. And they aren’t good.
It was a bit like taking a holiday for a dozen class four students last week: They boarded a ferry from Virgin Gorda to Tortola before producing their passports first …
Continue reading “VG students get insider’s look at cruise ship (PHOTO GALLERY)”
A senior executive of the cruise line Royal Caribbean Cruises Limited has accused the Virgin Islands government of running an unfair, nontransparent bidding process to select a developer for proposed …
Continue reading “Cruise developer blasts gov’t tender process (FULL LETTER)”