Beautiful Virgin Islands

Wednesday, Sep 17, 2025

Roughly $600K in revenue available with every cruise call, statistic show BVI not capitalising

Roughly $600K in revenue available with every cruise call, statistic show BVI not capitalising

President of the Florida Caribbean Cruise Association (FCCA) Michele Paige has called on stakeholders in the local tourism sector to do more to procure the more-than-half-million-dollars she says is up for grabs whenever a ship calls into the territory.

“Those ships have five thousand people on it. What are you going to do when two ships are in port and you have 10,000 passengers and 5,000 crew members? What are you going to do with them? You are leaving money on the table. An average ship leaves $600,000 on the table for the private sector. If you are not making that then you are leaving money on the table,” she said.

Visitor expectation not fully satisfied in the BVI


Paige, who is part of a delegation of international cruise executives currently in the territory, said statistics have shown that the visitors’ expectations are not fully satisfied when they visit the territory.

She explained: “They (the visitors) are here for eight hours. Our record shows that our average passenger goes back after four hours in the BVI.”

“So what are we doing to create that experience that you are keeping the passengers here longer and having them want to come back? Paige questioned. “That’s what we really need to work on – creating a new wow and to create the identity. But how are you putting that forward? How are you telling the story? What you are trying to do is keep them off the ship.”

The FCCA president Paige, made the remarks while responding to questions by BVI News at a press conference on Wednesday.

TPP comes in for high praise


Paige, in the meantime, described the C.B. Romney Tortola Pier Park as a facility that is not only attractive but emphasizes the essence of the territory.

“Compared to others, you have a beautiful facility. It is very welcoming, the shops are very unique and high end, and you put emphasis on items that are produced here in the BVI, which is exactly what people want,” she said.

She, however, urged the private sector to do more to complement the government’s work.

“The government can only do so much. The Premier and the ministers are setting the stage. They have created the dialogue, the commitment from the government to the cruise industry. We are here, and we are here on the invitation of the Premier. He has made us feel his passion; he has made us feel his commitment from the government to make it happen. But, it is the private sector, to ensure that the product is there to meet the needs of the travelling public,” she further said.

Apart from meeting the press, the delegation met with local stakeholders at the H Lavity Stoutt Community College.

Among the objectives of their visit is to share their concerns about the industry with a view to strengthen the service offering and tighten the existing bond between the cruise sector and the territory.

Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
Hong Kong Industry Group Calls for HK$20 Billion Support Fund to Ease Property Market Stress
Joe Biden’s Post-Presidency Speaking Fees Face Weak Demand amid Corporate Reluctance
Charlie Kirk's murder will break the left's hateful cancel tactics
Kash Patel erupts at ‘buffoon’ Sen. Adam Schiff over Russiagate: ‘You are the biggest fraud’
Homeland Security says Emmy speech ‘fanning the flames of hatred’ after Einbinder’s ‘F— ICE’ remark
Charlie Kirk’s Alleged Assassin Tyler Robinson Faces Death Penalty as Charges Formally Announced
Actor, director, environmentalist Robert Redford dies at 89
The conservative right spreads westward: a huge achievement for 'Alternative for Germany' in local elections
JD Vance Says There Is “No Unity” with Those Who Celebrate Charlie Kirk’s Killing, and he is right!
Trump sues the 'New York Times' for an astronomical sum of 15 billion dollars
Florida Hospital Welcomes Its Largest-Ever Baby: Annan, Nearly Fourteen Pounds at Birth
U.S. and Britain Poised to Finalize Over $10 Billion in High-Tech, Nuclear and Defense Deals During Trump State Visit
China Finds Nvidia Violated Antitrust Laws in Mellanox Deal, Deepens Trade Tensions with US
US Air Force Begins Modifications on Qatar-Donated Jet Amid Plans to Use It as Air Force One
Pope Leo Warns of Societal Crisis Over Mega-CEO Pay, Citing Tesla’s Proposed Trillion-Dollar Package
Poland Green-Lights NATO Deployment in Response to Major Russian Drone Incursion
Elon Musk Retakes Lead as World’s Richest After Brief Ellison Surge
U.S. and China Agree on Framework to Shift TikTok to American Ownership
London Daily Podcast: London Massive Pro Democracy Rally, Musk Support, UK Economic Data and Premier League Results Mark Eventful Weekend
This Week in AI: Meta’s Superintelligence Push, xAI’s Ten Billion-Dollar Raise, Genesis AI’s Robotics Ambitions, Microsoft Restructuring, Amazon’s Million-Robot Milestone, and Google’s AlphaGenome Update
Le Pen Tightens the Pressure on Macron as France Edges Toward Political Breakdown
Musk calls for new UK government at huge pro-democracy rally in London, but Britons have been brainwashed to obey instead of fighting for their human rights
Elon Musk responds to post calling for the murder of Erika Kirk, widow of Charlie Kirk: 'Either we fight back or they will kill us'
Czech Republic signs €1.34 billion contract for Leopard 2A8 main battle tanks with delivery from 2028
USA: Office Depot Employees Refused to Print Poster in Memory of Charlie Kirk – and Were Fired
Proposed U.S. Bill Would Allow Civil Suits Against Judges Who Release Repeat Violent Offenders
Penske Media Sues Google Over “AI Overviews,” Claiming It Uses Journalism Without Consent and Destroys Traffic
Indian Student Engineers Propose “Project REBIRTH” to Protect Aircraft from Crashes Using AI, Airbags and Smart Materials
French Debt Downgrade Piles Pressure on Macron’s New Prime Minister
US and UK Near Tech, Nuclear and Whisky Deals Ahead of Trump Trip
One in Three Europeans Now Uses TikTok, According to the Chinese Tech Giant
Could AI Nursing Robots Help Healthcare Staffing Shortages?
NATO Deploys ‘Eastern Sentry’ After Russian Drones Violate Polish Airspace
Anesthesiologist Left Operation Mid-Surgery to Have Sex with Nurse
Tens of Thousands of Young Chinese Get Up Every Morning and Go to Work Where They Do Nothing
The New Life of Novak Djokovic
The German Owner of Politico Mathias Döpfner Eyes Further U.S. Media Expansion After Axel Springer Restructuring
Suspect Arrested: Utah Man in Custody for Charlie Kirk’s Fatal Shooting
In a politically motivated trial: Bolsonaro Sentenced to 27 Years for Plotting Coup After 2022 Defeat
German police raid AfD lawmaker’s offices in inquiry over Chinese payments
Turkish authorities seize leading broadcaster amid fraud and tax investigation
Volkswagen launches aggressive strategy to fend off Chinese challenge in Europe’s EV market
ChatGPT CEO signals policy to alert authorities over suicidal youth after teen’s death
The British legal mafia hit back: Banksy mural of judge beating protester is scrubbed from London court
Surpassing Musk: Larry Ellison becomes the richest man in the world
Embarrassment for Starmer: He fired the ambassador photographed on Epstein’s 'pedophile island'
Manhunt after 'skilled sniper' shot Charlie Kirk. Footage: Suspect running on rooftop during panic
Effective Protest Results: Nepal’s Prime Minister Resigns as Youth-Led Unrest Shakes the Nation
Qatari prime minister says Netanyahu ‘killed any hope’ for Israeli hostages
King Charles and Prince Harry Share First In-Person Moment in 19 Months
×