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St Thomas: FRIEND or FOE?

Dickson Igwe. Photo: Provided
By: Dickson Igwe

The relationship between the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands is more complementary than adversarial. It is also very complex. The following story assesses two economic schools of thought in relation to the matter. It is the first of two articles on the matter.

The links between the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands run deep and wide. Both countries share a common geography. They share a common culture. They speak a common language. They both share a common history. They share a common currency. Their native peoples are a linked by strong familial ties.

Tourism is crucial to both countries. Both economies are service oriented. Their internal economies are a dichotomy. White businesses dominate both economies. Black natives are the political class for the present. Blacks work predominantly in the public sector. Blacks also do the blue collar jobs, and run the taxi business.

The two islands are overseas territories of superpowers, and are free democracies. The two superpowers that oversee the two islands are historically very close allies.

There are minuses. The United States Virgin Islands is plagued with gun crime. And this spills over into the British Virgin Islands. Slow economies have pummeled the middle class in both territories. Both countries have experienced increasing social dysfunction due to migration, and the economic disenfranchisement that comes from the inability of natives to fit into the new scientifically driven global economy. Then there are issues over fishing rights that can become diplomatically problematic.

Some of these matters can be addressed: pursuing a more relevant education model with a focus on science, technology, engineering and math; introducing strong anti-gun laws in the British Virgin Islands with greater powers of stop and search by the police; having more conversation between political, administrative, social, and business leaders of the two territories; and the setting up of full time diplomatic type offices, even consulates, in both territories, that focus on matters affecting the wellbeing of the two neighbors and its peoples. 

In terms of shopping services, the BVI cannot compete with St Thomas. The BVI resident will always find greater choice and better prices in St Thomas. There are clear logistical reasons why. And the reasons are very simple. St Thomas’s economy is directly linked with that of the most powerful economy on earth: the US economy.

US corporations set up shop in St Thomas. So all the BVI resident need do to buy that cheap appliance, competitively priced digital TV set, or desktop, is hop on to a ferry. That will only ever stop when BVI retailers are capable of offering Jack the Consumer similar offerings, in terms of options and pricing. There are signs this is coming to pass. This Old Boy has noticed some retailers in the BVI becoming increasingly competitive using St Thomas as benchmark. Innovation and resourcefulness is the key for the successful BVI retailer.  

St Thomas is a major Caribbean destination for the US traveler. That too is not going to change. And as the US economy continues to recover, the volume of tourism traffic going through St Thomas is going to increase. A number of these travelers will visit the BVI which is good for the local tourism economy.

However, the BVI could have experienced a greater number of these St Thomas bound US travelers had the national leadership over the years ensured effective transportation connections, while building capacity into the local hotel and guest house infrastructure, to accommodate this potential increase in traffic.

St Thomas should have sat a BVI Government office at the airport to manage accommodations, ferry connections, taxi services, and customs and immigration formalities, to ease the flow of tourists from the US into the territory. That office should have been an early morning to late night affair.

Collaboration, not competition should be the way forward for both territories. Economists speak of economies of scale. There are cost and efficiency advantages when two tiny countries collaborate. If larger countries are joining forces to strengthen their economies, it is absurd that the BVI still cannot understand the benefits of, ‘’teaming up’’ with the larger neighbor across the channel.

Tourists from the US are not necessarily looking for 5 star resort accommodations. They are looking for value. Tourism and commerce in the USVI and the BVI should be optimally integrated in terms of strategy, operations, and infrastructure.

It will not take rocket science to achieve that.

To be continued...

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4 Responses to “St Thomas: FRIEND or FOE?”

  • ccc (17/01/2015, 09:08) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
    Why is this man not deported?
  • xxxxxxxx (17/01/2015, 10:28) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
    The government and the justice system failed the people
  • wize up (17/01/2015, 13:54) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply

    this man has to much free time;just writing a bunch of nonsense; the Virgin Islands(both sides) have a great wonderful history of love NOW come this f**l...

  • vip (17/01/2015, 18:05) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
    NDP Bloggers go sitdon - Igwe is absolutely right


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