BVI Tourist Board to Explore New Markets and enhance Promotions 

The 2003/2004 tourist season was the best season since the 9/11 occurrence, and the strength of it is continuing into the fall. For the coming season the BVI Tourist Board has some new displays for upcoming road shows, a new brochure for each island, and a guide to diving and small properties. A new tourism directory is also a part of the plans. In an exclusive interview to The Island Sun, Mr. Kedrick Malone Director of the BVI Tourist Board explained that this will strengthen their US market.

Forging stronger partnership with airline companies is also one of the Tourist Board's plans to ensure that the upcoming tourism season is a strong one. For the first time the Tourist Board will have a North American Trade Manager who will focus on that market, and this will help to strengthen the BVI's position in that region. The new manager will work closely with the people who package tours, and he will also focus on certain aspects of the market in North America such as the honeymoon market and the meetings and events market.

Statistics prove that Europeans stay longer than any of the other visitors, and the Tourist Board is looking into ways to attract more of the European visitors to the BVI. An estimated 18,000 tourists from the United Kingdom visited the BVI during past season and the Tourist Board plans to have 30,000 this coming season. For this reason the Tourist Board is negotiating to improve the transit through Antigua by working with local carriers such as Liat and Caribbean Star airlines. Mr. Kedrick Malone told The Island Sun that so far these airlines have been co-operative.

The new Puerto Rico office is still a big part of the Tourist Boards plans since it serves as the door to the short-stays market, it is also easier to market events there because of it's proximity. Mr. Malone believes that they can aggressively grow the Puerto Rican market.

The Director said that the Tourist Board is making major changes within its UK office. He said that they are re-doubling their efforts in the area of small properties, through the launch of the Tourism Industry Service Standards. They plan to showcase Intimate Hide-aways and small properties.  The Tourist Board is also working on product development, and they are doing so by helping properties to improve their services.  Plans are also on the way for a Five Star Resort, the development of sport fishing and the development of conferencing facilities.

Plans are also in place to expand the Latin American and the French Caribbean markets, and the tourist Board is focusing on the large number of French tourists who visit the French islands.

More European tourists are expected to visit the BVI now that the US dollar is weaker. With the Euro and the British Pound at current levels most European tourists will be tempted to visit a destination like the BVI where the legal tender is the US dollar. Tourists from the United Kingdom will come here because they will get greater value for their money. Americans will also prefer to visit the BVI where their dollar has the same value.