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 17, 2020
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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July 29, 2020
COMMENTARY — Ideas offered for safe tourism
Some years ago, the Caribbean Tourism Organisation launched a marketing campaign under the tagline “life needs the Caribbean.” It positioned the region’s tourism experience of peace and relaxation as the …
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June 12, 2020
Divers turn old mooring rope into new scuba dive attraction
As part of his duties in maintaining the Bitter End Yacht Club’s mooring fields, Ben Williams, the owner of Sunchaser Scuba, has to replace the mooring lines every five or …
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June 10, 2020
COMMENTARY — Call made for regional tourism protocol
Since late April there have been virtually no tourist arrivals in the Caribbean. In recent days, however, several countries have announced plans to reopen to international travel, albeit in a …
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June 5, 2020
Fahie releases Protocols request sent to UK
Facing a projected 42 percent dip in government revenue this year due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the Virgin Islands has found some success in opening negotiations with the United Kingdom …
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June 3, 2020
Leaders push to boost local food production
As the Virgin Islands hopes to scale up its fishing and farming sectors with the ultimate goal of becoming more self-sufficient, participants in a virtual forum last week said it …
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May 29, 2020
Caribbean islands prepare for tourism
When the doors of the Virgin Islands reopen to tourism, the territory’s leaders say, they intend to be ready. Some competing countries and territories in the region have announced plans …
May 21, 2020
Experts advise looking abroad for ideas on reopening
As the Virgin Islands and other Caribbean nations consider how to re-open their borders following the coronavirus pandemic, they could find helpful examples and cautionary tales in other island nations …
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May 13, 2020
April 17, 2020
Amid pandemic, tourism stalls
Nearly two and a half years after Hurricane Irma, tourism in the Virgin Islands was back. Hotel rooms were full, cruise cabins were packed, charter yachts were booked solid. Then …
