in All News / By: BVI News on January 7, 2026 at 7:12 AM /
Smith
Junior Minister for Financial Services Lorna Smith has cautioned against comparing the BVI’s tourism product to that of other Caribbean destinations with large international airports, arguing that such comparisons overlook key infrastructural differences.
Smith made the comments during a recent sitting of the House of Assembly while responding to Opposition Leader Myron Walwyn’s criticism of the pace of tourism-related development in the territory. Walwyn had listed several Caribbean countries currently investing in major tourism projects and suggested that the BVI is lagging behind its regional counterparts.
Smith acknowledged Walwyn’s references to large-scale tourism developments taking place across the region and said those countries deserve commendation for their progress. However, she stressed that those destinations are attracting investments because of one advantage that the BVI does not yet fully have.
“The key for all of them is that they have an international long-haul airport, an international airport that can accept long-haul traffic,” Smith said, underscoring the link between airlift and large-scale tourism investment.
She noted that the BVI is actively working on improving its airport infrastructure as a necessary step toward attracting the kind of tourism investment highlighted by Walwyn.
“And that is what we are working on, to attract the kind of investment that the Leader of the Opposition referred to,” she added.
Smith also rejected the notion that the territory lacks tourism activity, stating that several public- and private-sector tourism projects are either underway or in the pipeline across the territory. She emphasised that the government’s tourism development efforts are being pursued territory-wide rather than being limited to specific districts.
Walwyn has argued in recent budget debates that Caribbean destinations, such as Jamaica and Barbados, are advancing aggressively with hotel construction, resort expansion, and tourism infrastructure, while the BVI risks being left behind if it does not accelerate similar initiatives.
His comparison was rejected by several members of the government who say the BVI is doing well with available resources and current challenges facing the economy.
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