Premier Dr. Natalio D. Wheatley pushed back against the notion that the cruise industry provides little economic benefit to the Virgin Islands. Recent calls from the Opposition and some residents urged the government to prioritize overnight tourism over the celebrated growth in cruise arrivals.
However, in remarks made in a recent sitting of the House of Assembly, Premier Wheatley asked the public to “calm down with the idea” that cruise ships have no impact locally.
The Premier highlighted the cruise industry’s contributions to the livelihoods of taxi drivers and staff at the port authority as clear examples of its value to the territory’s economy. He contended that dismissing cruise tourism’s importance is misguided.
Premier Wheatley also reiterated his position that the cruise sector has proven valuable in driving repeat visitors who return to the territory as overnight guests after first experiencing the destination via a cruise itinerary. He cited a study conducted by the Florida-Caribbean Cruise Association (FCCA) as evidence that a significant portion of cruise passengers are inspired to take future vacations to islands they previously visited on a cruise.
While defending the recent boom in cruise arrivals, the Premier acknowledged the need for balance, emphasizing that overnight visitors bring even greater economic value. He noted expectations for growth in this sector as accommodations damaged by the 2017 hurricanes continue to be restored.
In researching the study referenced by the Premier, we discovered that the most recent publication from the FCCA was the 2019 FCCA Cruise Industry Overview. Although the report mentions findings related to the return of visitors to destinations they had previously visited on cruises, the FCCA was not the source of this information, nor were we able to find any similar studies conducted by the FCCA.
The study cited in the FCCA report was conducted by the research firm J.D. Power, which was commissioned by the Cruise Line International Association (CLIA). This study was described as a “web-based survey of its consumer panel in August 2017” and captured the opinions, motivations, and preferences of vacationers from the United States and Canada.
Despite the Premier’s citing of the report as evidence that a significant number of cruise ship visitors return to stay as overnight guests, a closer examination of the information suggests that what was shared was simply a view of whether people would be interested in making such a return trip rather than capturing the actual number of individuals who have done so.