Tourism
Building back better In both the public and private sectors, optimism about the future, as the British Virgin Islands Tourist Board celebrates its 50th anniversary remains high, and is reflected in the rapid post-disaster reinvestment in the destination’s tourism product. In most cases, the resorts that have come back have not just rebuilt, but improved, putting them in a better position to compete in a global marketplace. Currently, tourism represents more than 10 percent of global GDP and grew by 3.9 percent in 2018, outpacing overall economic growth, according to the World Travel and Tourism Council. The Scrub Island Resort, Spa & Marina reopened with new villas, for example, while Oil Nut Bay added its Bay Suites and Marina Village, Anegada Beach Club debuted new “glamping” accommodations, Necker Island installed plunge pools at each of its houses, and the Sugar Mill Hotel built a new beach restaurant and bar. “The hurricane was an opportunity,” said Guana Island general manager Andrew Marston, noting that the private island resort raised and strengthened the roofs of damaged villas. The resort also installed air-conditioning, “which isn’t really needed because there is a strong natural breeze,” but “there are times of year when AC is nice to have.” On Norman Island, where the Pirates Bight restaurant is back and the Willy T floating bar has returned to its traditional mooring with a new boat, while the old Willy T — sunk in the storm — has been rethemed as a haunted pirate ship (complete with a skeleton crew) and designated as a new dive spot. In another example of “making lemonade,” the nonprofit organisation Beyond The Reef sunk three planes damaged by Hurricane Irma, decorated them with shark themes, and established the “Sharkplaneo” dive site near the Dog Islands. “Hurricanes usually take more than they give, but in an ironic twist, our private North Beach now boasts this spectacular expanse of new sand that was brought in by the storm, making it an idyllic location for sunseekers and our weekly North Beach Festival,” said Norwood Smith, the VP of Sales & Marketing at Mainsail Lodging & Development, which owns and manages Scrub Island. A few major properties remain closed, including the Peter Island and Saba Rock resorts and the Bitter End Yacht Club. (The latter is expected to reopen in 2020; no reopening dates have yet been announced for Peter Island or Saba Rock.) But construction will soon begin on a new Norman Island resort project that will include 75 to 100 residences, up to three boutique hotels, a marina, spa and observatory. Perhaps the most anticipated return to date has been Rosewood Little Dix Bay resort on Virgin Gorda, which reopened on January 6. “I truly believe that 2020 will be a landmark year for the BVIs,” said Andreas Pade, the resort’s managing director.
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FEBRUARY 2020