Virgin Islanders are being urged to be more willing to provide information on the impact of festivals and events on the local economy. Photo: Virgin Islands Festival/Facebook

Benson Tyson of the Central Statistics Office speaking on Virgin Islands Voice on Facebook on Wednesday, July 24, 2025. Photo: Facebook

Benson Tyson from the Central Statistics Office made this appeal while speaking on Virgin Islands Voice, aired on Facebook on Wednesday, July 24, 2025.

He emphasised the importance of collecting data to assess the economic effects of festivals and events in the Virgin Islands.

Typson stated, “Festivals cost money, and while we celebrate culture, there’s also a financial aspect. The funding comes from both the government and private sectors, and they would want to see a return on their investment. At the end of the day, we need to collect the data to better plan for future festivals.”

He also noted, “I am not sure if festivals have been explicitly measured in the past. I've seen questionnaires prepared and sent out to taxi drivers, hoteliers, and others, but responses have always been a challenge.”

He continued, “The government and stakeholders need to understand the impact of festivals and be willing to share some of the required data when questions are asked. From the perspective of measuring activities, the Central Statistics Office is available, and while we haven't explicitly measured the impact before, we did conduct a survey in 2022.”

‘People must be willing to share their information’- Benson Tyson

Typson said, “In the past, the central statistics office has collected public attitudes and opinions about the festival. This information is available and can be shared with the tourism department's planning committee, so they can understand the public's thoughts on the different events."

He added, “Ultimately, we will need to plan, conduct surveys, and collect data, but people must be willing to share their information when the time comes.”

He further suggested that when signing up vendors for booths, we should inform them that it’s necessary to measure the economic impact, and they need to be willing to provide that information.