Government Discusses Airlift Partnership with USVI

(L to R) Premier Hon.Ralph T. O’Neal, OBE ; Minister for Communications and Works, Hon. Julian Fraser; Chairman of the BVI Chamber of Commerce and Hotel Association, Dr. Birney Harrigan; Special Assistant for External Affairs (USVI), Mr. David Edgecombe; Chairman of the Hotel and Tourism Association (USVI) Mr. Richard Doumeng; and Commissioner of Tourism (USVI) Ms. Beverly Nicholson Doty among the group of officials who attended the Virgin Islands (UK & US) Airlift Partnership Meeting. Photo credit: Mr. Aldrin Rabsatt/GIS

The meeting comes against the backdrop of the drastic reduction in the number of American Eagle flights serving the Territory. Effective today, the airlift capacity provided by the airline has been reduced from 10 to three daily flights.

Faced with such a significant reduction in airlift, the tourism officials spent the day discussing various options that can be used to maximise the number of tourists travelling between both destinations.

Given the importance of the issue, Honourable O’Neal welcomed the mix of participants from the public and private sector.

“Both sides are interested in this subject because it is vital to our survival and we want to ensure that in this crisis, we can be innovative and put forward ideas and find solutions to help us out of a situation that could well become worse,” the Premier stated.

“If there are no tourists coming, there will be no movement in the industry and I would shudder to think what would happen in both the American and British Virgin Islands; so we have got to put our heads together to ensure that the best possible is done,” Honourable O’Neal added. He reiterated Government’s decision to make the current airlift task force permanent to keep the issue under constant review in light of the ongoing changes in the industry and the need to adjust.   ~~Adz:Right~~

The Premier publicly thanked the Minister for Communications and Works, Honourable Julian Fraser for his continued efforts to find solutions to the airlift crisis.

In his remarks, Honourable Fraser noted that with San Juan becoming less accessible and the USVI gaining attractiveness, it will be mutually beneficial to forge a partnership.

“If you are going to bring an aircraft into St.Thomas, you will now be bringing it with passengers for the BVI as well. It becomes more attractive to the airline to fly to St. Thomas because you have more passengers,” Honourable Fraser told the meeting.

He also noted that improved ferry services between the two groups of islands will also be beneficial because it will encourage more visitors to St. Thomas to travel to the BVI.

The Minister for Communications and Works also confirmed that effective September 10, LIAT will provide daily morning and evening service between the Territory and San Juan.

Acting Director of Tourism Ms. Hadassah Ward said one of priorities is ensuring “simple and comfortable transitions” for visitors between both groups of Virgin Islands.

 Ms. Ward said “the discussions going forward need to focus on how we can work together to combine our strengths and diminish our weaknesses.”

Like Ms. Ward, the USVI Commissioner of Tourism Ms. Beverly Nicholson-Doty underscored the importance of establishing synergy between the two territories. “Together we will succeed or divided we will fail,”
was her warning to the gathering.

Today’s meeting was organised by the BVI Chamber of Commerce and Hotel Association in recognition of the need to create valuable partnerships and enable seamless transitions as visitors experience both groups of Virgin Islands.

Tourism is one of the main economic pillars of the Territory and it is Government’s vision that the industry maintains its leadership position as a diverse and upscale niche market destination.