TOURISM INDUSTRY SHOWS INCREASE IN ARRIVALS FOR 1ST QUARTER 2001
An industry survey conducted by the BVI Tourist Board shows an overall projected increase of 2.53% in tourist arrivals for the first quarter of 2001 compared to the same period last year. The survey was conducted at the end of February by Statistics Manager Thomas Donovan and Consultant Everett O’Neal, using interviews with a representative sample of the industry.
The purpose was to forecast the tourism industry performance for the first quarter 2001 using the information available from the industry and the public sector and identify determining factors for the performance in the sector and suggestions for approaching improvements. Industry providers were selected from the hotels, inns and villas, charter boats, cruise ships, taxis, rent-a-cars and restaurants. The interviewees were asked to compare performance in first quarter 2001 with first quarter 2000. They were also asked for explanations for the performance and to identify possible actions to improve the performance for the current year and for the similar period in 2002.
The information obtained from the survey was supplemented with official data on the performance for the years 1999 and 2000, according to the Tourist Board statisticians. “Based on the survey, the hotels, inns and villas sectors or the land-based industry, basically maintained their position,” said BVITB Director Anne Lennard in a March 1st press conference. She said there appeared to be a slight decrease of 0.65% in the first quarter of 2001 compared to the first quarter of 2000. Seventeen properties were included in the survey.
Based on a survey coverage of four companies, which represents over 95% of the charter boat industry, there is a projected 3.85% increase in the first quarter of 2001 over the first quarter of 2000. Based on official data from organizations in the cruise ship industry, no significant change was projected for the first quarter of 2001 over the same period a year before. The industry representatives surveyed offered several reasons for the performance in the tourism sector. These include the weak performance and instability in the technology sector of the United States Stock Market; slowdown in the U.S economy; the uncertainty resulting from delays in the U.S presidential election outcome and weaknesses of European currencies versus the United States dollar. “U.S visitors to the BVI are equivalent to just about 60%,” Ms. Lennard revealed.
Other factors were the relatively higher airfares to the BVI as compared to Europe and millennium-generated business. The closure of Four Seasons Resort in Nevis following hurricane Lenny in 1999 led to accommodating their clientele at resorts such as Little Dix Bay and Peter Island. In addition, the Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO) has reported that the Caribbean as a destination remains flat. Many destinations have experienced declines over the past two years.
According to the survey, factors that enable performance include the increased share of European tourists in the charter boat industry and effective and consistent marketing by the BVITB and private industry providers. They also indicate that the upscale nature of the BVI market is to a large extent recession proof.
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