The British Virgin Islands Ports Authority (BVIPA), Cyril B. Romney Tortola Pier Park (CBRTPP), British Virgin Islands Tourist Board and Film Commission (BVITB) and local agents attended Seatrade Cruise Virtual: Expedition Cruising. Over the two-day period, 8 – 9 March 2021, members participated in a virtual conference geared towards the expedition cruising industry. Although the British Virgin Islands is not currently an area marketed towards expedition cruising, it is important in the changing tourism landscape to adjust based on trends and adapt to the new travel environment that the pandemic has brought. This industry niche revolves around small vessels; luxury cruise yachts, expedition ships and classic sailing schooners where the passenger count is under 250.  

Seatrade Cruise Virtual: Expedition is part of the portfolio of Seatrade Cruise Global, the largest global cruise forum that ordinarily takes place in Miami.  Last year’s face to face conference was cancelled and a virtual forum was created to ensure an opportunity for destinations, ports, cruise lines, and members of the cruise community to source partners, network with peers both new and known, and hear insights from leading industry players.

According to BVIPA’s Marketing Director, Mrs. Natasha Chalwell, “Maintaining a presence and relationship with global cruise partners is essential during the COVID-19 pandemic as we need to understand what the resumption of safe cruising will look like for all involved.” Mrs. Chalwell further stated that “it is crucial that we align ourselves with our cruise tourism partners locally, regionally and internationally to position ourselves for the eventual safe resumption of the industry.”

CBRTPP’s Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Vance Lewis indicated that “There is so much changing in this industry now and we could not afford to miss an opportunity to participate in a forum such as Seatrade Cruise Virtual. It was a chance to expand both our knowledge base, changing trends and connect with our smaller, luxury cruise partners across the globe.”