A proposal to set aside The Baths and Devil’s Bay National Parks for the exclusive use of an international luxury cruise operator on selected mornings has sparked sharp public debate in the British Virgin Islands, pitting conservation funding needs against long-standing principles of free and open beach access. Photo: Facebook

The National Parks Trust of the Virgin Islands (NPT) says it is in advanced negotiations with an unnamed cruise line to reserve access to The Baths and Devil’s Bay on nine mornings during the peak tourism season, with public access restricted from 9:00 a.m. to noon. During each reserved window, fewer than 150 cruise clients would be permitted on site, with normal public access resuming at midday. Spring Bay National Park, which had been mentioned in earlier public discussion, is not part of the arrangement and would remain open as usual. Photo: Facebook

National Parks Trust (NPT) trustees, Shereen D. Flax-Charles and Lawrence Wheatley, have publicly distanced themselves from the proposal, saying they had 'absolutely no prior knowledge' of any plan to establish exclusive times, zones or periods of access for cruise lines or other private entities. Photo: Facebook/File

Alongside the exclusive-access talks, the National Parks Trust has requested a phased increase in ordinary visitor entrance fees for The Baths and Devil's Bay, from US$3 to US$10 starting November 1, 2026, and then to US$20 from April 1, 2027. Photo: BVITB/File

The National Parks Trust of the Virgin Islands (NPT) said it is in advanced negotiations with an unnamed cruise line to reserve access to The Baths and Devil’s Bay on nine mornings during the peak tourism season, with public access restricted from 9:00 AM to noon. During each reserved window, fewer than 150 cruise clients would be permitted on site, with normal public access resuming at midday. Spring Bay National Park, which had been mentioned in earlier public discussion, is not part of the arrangement and would remain open as usual.

The Trust described the measure as part of a wider carrying-capacity framework designed to reduce pressure on the Greater Baths National Park and generate revenue for conservation, maintenance, additional rangers, and other operational costs.

Legal & constitutional concerns

At the heart of the pushback is the long-established principle that beaches throughout the Virgin Islands are open and accessible to VIslanders at all times. Critics argue that converting sections of two National Parks and their beaches into private spaces, even temporarily, conflicts with that principle and could raise constitutional questions under the Virgin Islands Constitution Order 2007, which contains protections against discrimination.

Two NPT trustees, Shereen D. Flax-Charles and Lawrence Wheatley, have publicly distanced themselves from the proposal, saying they had “absolutely no prior knowledge” of any plan to establish exclusive times, zones or periods of access for cruise lines or other private entities. They stressed that while trustees are not responsible for day-to-day operational decisions—which fall to the Board of Directors and management—they do not support excluding the general public for the exclusive benefit of a private company.

“No amount of money should transform a National Park into a private playground for a select few,” Flax-Charles and Wheatley said, describing the parks and beaches as part of the Territory’s national patrimony that should not be access-controlled by economic standing. 

Economic and livelihood worries

Beyond legal and philosophical objections, the trustees warned of knock-on effects for local tourism businesses. They questioned how the arrangement would affect charter operators, taxi drivers, tour companies, hotels, villas, restaurants, and others who depend on reliable visitor access to The Baths during peak season.

“What do we tell the local charter operator who has already accepted a booking? What do we tell the taxi driver whose livelihood depends upon taking visitors to The Baths?” they asked, suggesting that alternative funding models—such as higher ordinary visitor fees and direct contributions from major tourism companies to conservation and infrastructure—would be preferable to selling periods of exclusive access.

Trust defends plan amid funding pressures

The NPT, however, said the proposal is a necessary response to surging visitor numbers and rising conservation costs. It reported that the Virgin Islands received 612,263 visitors in the first quarter of 2026, up about 24 per cent from the same period in 2025, with cruise passengers accounting for 493,397 of those arrivals.

Operating the National Parks system costs more than US$3 million annually, the Trust said, while the Government’s subvention covers only 28 per cent; the remaining 72 per cent must be generated through entrance fees and other park-related revenue. With 19 of the Territory’s 22 National Parks generating no income, revenue-producing sites like The Baths and Devil’s Bay help finance the wider system.

The Trust maintains that every dollar from the exclusive arrangement would go to park operations and conservation, and that there would be no sale, lease, or transfer of any interest in the parks. It also said Virgin Islanders and residents, who currently enter The Baths free with valid identification, would continue to do so—though access would still be unavailable to the general public during the nine reserved morning periods.

Fee increases on the horizon

Alongside the exclusive-access talks, the Trust has requested a phased increase in ordinary visitor entrance fees: from US$3 to US$10 starting November 1, 2026, and then to US$20 from April 1, 2027. Cabinet has reportedly approved the increases, but they have not yet been gazetted. 

Public meeting scheduled

Acknowledging that the public learned about the proposal before it was formally explained, the Board admitted the sequence was “the wrong order” and promised to publish the nine proposed dates and other key terms if an agreement is signed. A virtual public meeting is scheduled for August 27, 2026, from 6:30 PM to 8:00 PM, when the Trust is expected to outline the proposal and hear directly from the community.