In anticipation of the upcoming tourist season, the BVI Tourist Board and Film Commission (BVITB & FC) is requesting proposals from ferry companies for what they describe as an ‘early-evening’ trip between the aforesaid locations.

“Given the limited airlift into the territory, this tourist (2019/2020) season once again is projected to have many guests heading to the BVI via the Cyril E King Airport on St Thomas [in the neighbouring US Virgin Islands]. Many of the guests are expected to arrive in St Thomas in the later afternoons, mostly on the weekends, and well after the last regularly scheduled ferry from St Thomas to Tortola would have departed,” the BVITB & FC explained.

“This is an untenable situation for our guests who are usually anxious to proceed to their BVI destination and avoid the costs associated with overnighting in St Thomas. As such, the BVITB & FC wish to realize a service expressly to address this situation with a view towards enticing more guests to visit the BVI in the coming years,” it added.

The Tourist Board indicated that their goal is to establish a reliable ferry service to consistently transport guests travelling to the BVI arriving early evenings and on weekends.

They have therefore invited interested ferry operators to submit their proposals to the BVITB & FC no later than October 28 at 3 pm.

The upcoming tourist season will run from December 5, 2019 through May 31, 2020.

Presently, the final ferry leaves St Thomas bound for the BVI at roughly 5 pm.