Opening For Business: Visitors To Enter Via Sea From December 8
Junior Minister for Tourism, Hon. Sharie de Castro has announced that the British Virgin Islands’ seaports will be opened to international travellers from December 8, 2020.
The Junior Minister made the pronouncement in Jost Van Dyke on Thursday, October 22 2020, during a public meeting.
She said, “I know that tourism is the lifeblood in Jost Van Dyke and I want to be the first here that of course, you would have already known, visitors will be allowed entrance in the T. B. Lettsome International Airport as of December 1, 2020. But, visitors will be allowed to enter through the seaports on December 8 2020.”
Meanwhile, also commenting on the announcement, Premier and Minister for Tourism, Hon. Andrew Fahie sought to explain the reason behind the decision.
He said, “The reason we start with airport first is we are not going to fool ourselves that we will be able to handle all of them one time. We can’t. And I am not going to fool the territory of that, so what we are going to do is we are preparing, and there’s a lot that’s going to be said in the speech, and if I say it now, the media is here, and they are going to run with the headlines.”
He continued: “But, a lot of considerations was put into this reopening, and a lot of meetings have been held in the industries, with the technical persons, with the professionals, with the experts. There are some measures that we will put in place that is going to call for monitoring persons, and that will be said in the speech, how we are going to go about with that first with those coming in by plane, and then those coming in by boat.”
The Premier further said it would allow the authorities to be able to monitor the movements of boats to ensure that any illegal activity is detected.
He pointed out, “Because remember it only takes one illegal activity by boat to cause a retard of the process which we pray God doesn’t happen.”
The full plan for the reopening of the territory which was slated for Thursday was pushed to Monday.
She said, “I know that tourism is the lifeblood in Jost Van Dyke and I want to be the first here that of course, you would have already known, visitors will be allowed entrance in the T. B. Lettsome International Airport as of December 1, 2020. But, visitors will be allowed to enter through the seaports on December 8 2020.”
Meanwhile, also commenting on the announcement, Premier and Minister for Tourism, Hon. Andrew Fahie sought to explain the reason behind the decision.
He said, “The reason we start with airport first is we are not going to fool ourselves that we will be able to handle all of them one time. We can’t. And I am not going to fool the territory of that, so what we are going to do is we are preparing, and there’s a lot that’s going to be said in the speech, and if I say it now, the media is here, and they are going to run with the headlines.”
He continued: “But, a lot of considerations was put into this reopening, and a lot of meetings have been held in the industries, with the technical persons, with the professionals, with the experts. There are some measures that we will put in place that is going to call for monitoring persons, and that will be said in the speech, how we are going to go about with that first with those coming in by plane, and then those coming in by boat.”
The Premier further said it would allow the authorities to be able to monitor the movements of boats to ensure that any illegal activity is detected.
He pointed out, “Because remember it only takes one illegal activity by boat to cause a retard of the process which we pray God doesn’t happen.”
The full plan for the reopening of the territory which was slated for Thursday was pushed to Monday.