Minister for Communications and Works Honourable Kye M. Rymer has announced a record summer cruise outlook for 2026 as confirmed bookings show fifty-two (52) cruise calls between June and October, bringing an estimated one hundred and sixty-five thousand, seven hundred (165,700) passengers to the Territory.

Honourable Rymer credited this achievement to the sustained engagement with cruise partners, including advocacy at the April 2026 Seatrade Cruise Global Conference in Miami where his delegation highlighted the readiness of ports and the strength of the Virgin Islands’ tourism product. The increase is expected to boost taxi operators, tour providers, restaurants, retailers and other local businesses, and support employment and economic stability during the traditionally slow season.

The minister added that his ministry will continue collaborating with the BVI Ports Authority, Cyril B. Romney Tortola Pier Park, the BVI Tourist Board, and ship agents to sustain this momentum and position the Virgin Islands as a premier regional cruise destination.