“The Baroness is sending us a message and if we choose not to embrace it, more’s the pity.  She noted that BVI is a very beautiful place.  However, she was unimpressed with the time it took her to get to these shores.  The short runway at the T. B. Lettsome International Airport is an issue.

She believes that we have a good tourism product but limited access.  She knows that an extended runway will be an economic driver for the Territory so she pledged her support for the extension project as well as to uncover some funds to help to address trafficking in controlled substances.

She appreciates that crime and tourism do not mix.

She is also aware that many destinations in Europe and further afield that were not a threat to Caribbean tourism are popping up like weeds and the competition is stiff.  Yet, our beauty; And if we can add; tourism policy, investments and access, would make us competitive.

We have been dependent upon financial services for so long that we have not seriously and aggressively grown the tourism product.  And the threats to financial services, which is already on the wane, are real.

If our seriousness about BVI tourism is assessed through the lens of its marketing budget, we will come up short because that budget has not increased in well over a decade and investments in the sector for developing the product have been low.

We are still investor unfriendly because no one has connected the dots for the people to show them how these investments positively impact their lives.

We need conference spaces and another business hotel in the capital which also adds value to the financial services side of the balance sheet.  But that has not stopped us from kicking the Prospect Reef can down the road these 18 years.

It is difficult to know what if anything gets us to act.

The House of Assembly is set up in a ‘them vs us’ way so that governments propose and the opposition opposes.

And even when both sides sit together in gatherings like the Standing Finance Committee and questions are answered to the satisfaction of all, the discussion during the  budget debate leads the public to believe otherwise.

If only we would call a truce after the votes are counted and settle down to work for the people of the Territory, BVI will progress.  

There are other views than elected views and other ideas than those held by the government of the day.

We know that much of the expertise to make us successful already resides in the BVI.  We just need the courage to embrace it.  We are too small a population for the level of divisiveness that is practiced.

An idea was floated during the constitutional consultations that we have a senate of nominated members.  That would allow us to have experts in place to help to advise the elected officials.

But influential elected officials do not embrace that idea.  What do they fear?  

Notwithstanding the Baroness’ agenda, the way we received her told her that, despite our differences, we, in the BVI, value all people and that may be why, at last count, over 110 nationalities are represented in these islands.

If we can impress strangers with our embrace although their mission does not strike accord, why can’t we be accepting of ourselves?

The Baroness admitted to having spoken to the author of the COI report prior to her visit.  That was not surprising.  

Still, she must have been pulled into a conundrum when she realized we are real people who, following the words of Shylock, would have freely admitted:

 “If you prick us, do we not bleed? If you tickle us, do we not laugh? If you poison us, do we not die? And if you wrong us, shall we not revenge? If we are like you in the rest, we will resemble you in that.”

It would have been clear to her that we have a well-regulated financial services industry.  We have Mathavious and the small regulatory army at the FSC to thank for putting that  regime in place and maintaining it.

We agree that good governance and the rule of law are essential to our success.  Certainly, she is aware that the Minister for National Security is the Governor.  And recently, he has started speaking to us about his national security responsibilities.

We saw his National Security Bulletin published on 18 September 2025.  It is a step in the right direction and hopefully not a one-off that coincided with the anti-crime summit. 

It should be as important to the Governor as it is to the Premier that BVI maintains a vibrant economy capable of sustaining its population.  

We trust that, while we await the other results of the Baroness’ visit, that with the help of everyone, including the Governor, that we urgently improve our tourism infrastructure.

We must weigh these matters carefully on our Fridays and encourage our representatives to act.

Happy Friday!”