Territorial At Large Representative Honourable Carvin Malone believes that while it is all well and good for the territory to promote its tourism product, there is a dire need to ensure that the available infrastructure is up to par.
Malone said the need for a proper infrastructure is to facilitate the influx of tourists needing accommodation and engagement while in the territory.
Referencing the recent “Christmas in July” event, Malone said that information reaching him suggests that accommodations in the vicinity were fully booked and that some persons were met with the disappointing news that there were no available rooms to accommodate them during that period.
This, he said, suggests that, as the territory continues to explore and expand its tourism product, due consideration must be given to the capabilities and limitations of existing infrastructure.
“Do we have enough “brand hotels” on Tortola itself? Do we need “brand hotels”? Do we have conference rooms so we can then host a number of conferences?… The infrastructure has to almost go ahead of a well-planned oil machine. So that at the end of the day when you bring the people in they have some place to stay”, he said.
Malone explained that in realising the full scope of the territory’s tourism framework, which encompasses a wide array of areas of the industry, one must consider the entirety of the visitor experience in the BVI.
As such, attention must also be given to the territory’s limited tourism sites to ensure that they are well maintained and able to perform their purpose.
Malone said, “If you’re going to take the cruise people out, what are they going to see? If you’re going to invite your particular yachting industry, you have 18, 20, or 30 different places you can go. How are they developed? You have to look at every sector of the tourism product to make sure that there is what is necessary for each of them to thrive… so that we can flatten out the high season, low season and no season.”