A proposal to reserve The Baths and Devil’s Bay National Parks exclusively for the clients of an international luxury cruise operator on selected mornings has attracted some public pushback.
The sticking point is linked to the long-established law that beaches throughout the Virgin Islands are open and accessible to BVIslanders at all times.
The National Parks Trust of the Virgin Islands confirmed that it is in advanced negotiations with an unnamed cruise operator for reserved access to The Baths and Devil’s Bay on nine mornings during the peak tourism season.
Under the proposed arrangement, public access would be restricted between 9:00 a.m. and noon, with fewer than 150 clients of the cruise operator permitted to use the sites.
Normal public access would resume at midday.
Spring Bay National Park, which had also been mentioned during public discussions, is not included in the proposed arrangement and would remain open as usual.
The Trust said the measure forms part of a wider carrying-capacity framework intended to reduce pressure on the Greater Baths National Park and raise money for conservation, maintenance, additional rangers and other operational expenses.
However, the decision to effectively convert sections of two National Parks and their beaches into private spaces, even for limited periods, has provoked strong opposition from some residents, tourism operators and other visitors who have traditionally enjoyed unrestricted public access to the Territory’s beaches.
Two trustees of the National Parks Trust, Shereen Flax-Charles and Lawrence Wheatley, have already publicly distanced themselves from the proposal and declared their opposition to any arrangement that excludes the general public in favour of a private company.
The trustees said they had “absolutely no prior knowledge” of any proposal to establish exclusive times, zones or periods of access for cruise lines or other private entities.
They explained that trustees are not responsible for the operational or day-to-day decisions of the organisation, which fall under the authority of the Board of Directors and management.
“We do not support the principle of excluding the general public from our National Parks for the exclusive benefit of a private company or group,” Flax-Charles and Wheatley stated.
They argued that the National Parks and beaches form part of the Territory’s national patrimony and should not become places where access is determined by economic standing or purchasing power.
“No amount of money should transform a National Park into a private playground for a select few,” they declared.
The trustees also raised concerns about possible economic discrimination, arguing that reserving a public beach or National Park for persons who can afford a premium experience could conflict with the principles and protections contained in the Virgin Islands Constitution Order 2007.
They warned that the proposed restrictions could negatively affect local charter companies, taxi drivers, tour operators, hotels, villas, restaurants and other businesses that depend on visitors having reliable access to The Baths during the 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?” the trustees questioned.
They proposed increasing ordinary visitor entrance fees and encouraging major tourism companies to contribute directly to conservation, environmental education, infrastructure and the acquisition of environmentally important lands, instead of selling periods of exclusive access.
The National Parks Trust, however, defended the proposed arrangement as a necessary response to growing visitor numbers and escalating conservation costs.
According to the Trust, the Virgin Islands received 612,263 visitors during the first quarter of 2026, an increase of approximately 24 per cent over the corresponding period in 2025. Cruise passengers accounted for 493,397 of those visitors.
The Trust said it costs more than US$3 million annually to operate the National Parks system, 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.
It further explained that 19 of the Territory’s 22 National Parks generate no income, leaving revenue-producing locations such as The Baths and Devil’s Bay to help finance the wider system.
The Trust said every dollar generated by the proposed exclusive arrangement would be directed towards park operations and conservation. It also maintained that the arrangement would involve no sale, lease or transfer of any interest in the parks.
Virgin Islanders and residents currently enter The Baths free of charge upon presenting valid identification. The Trust said this would remain unchanged, although access would still be unavailable to the general public during the nine reserved morning periods.
The Trust has also requested the phased introduction of higher visitor entrance fees, moving from US$3 to US$10 from 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.
The Board acknowledged that the public learned about the proposed arrangement before it was formally explained, admitting that the sequence was “the wrong order.”
It has 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 p.m. to 8:00 p.m., when the Trust is expected to explain the proposal and hear directly from the community.
The sticking point is linked to the long-established law that beaches throughout the Virgin Islands are open and accessible to BVIslanders at all times.
The National Parks Trust of the Virgin Islands confirmed that it is in advanced negotiations with an unnamed cruise operator for reserved access to The Baths and Devil’s Bay on nine mornings during the peak tourism season.
Under the proposed arrangement, public access would be restricted between 9:00 a.m. and noon, with fewer than 150 clients of the cruise operator permitted to use the sites.
Normal public access would resume at midday.
Spring Bay National Park, which had also been mentioned during public discussions, is not included in the proposed arrangement and would remain open as usual.
The Trust said the measure forms part of a wider carrying-capacity framework intended to reduce pressure on the Greater Baths National Park and raise money for conservation, maintenance, additional rangers and other operational expenses.
However, the decision to effectively convert sections of two National Parks and their beaches into private spaces, even for limited periods, has provoked strong opposition from some residents, tourism operators and other visitors who have traditionally enjoyed unrestricted public access to the Territory’s beaches.
Two trustees of the National Parks Trust, Shereen Flax-Charles and Lawrence Wheatley, have already publicly distanced themselves from the proposal and declared their opposition to any arrangement that excludes the general public in favour of a private company.
The trustees said they had “absolutely no prior knowledge” of any proposal to establish exclusive times, zones or periods of access for cruise lines or other private entities.
They explained that trustees are not responsible for the operational or day-to-day decisions of the organisation, which fall under the authority of the Board of Directors and management.
“We do not support the principle of excluding the general public from our National Parks for the exclusive benefit of a private company or group,” Flax-Charles and Wheatley stated.
They argued that the National Parks and beaches form part of the Territory’s national patrimony and should not become places where access is determined by economic standing or purchasing power.
“No amount of money should transform a National Park into a private playground for a select few,” they declared.
The trustees also raised concerns about possible economic discrimination, arguing that reserving a public beach or National Park for persons who can afford a premium experience could conflict with the principles and protections contained in the Virgin Islands Constitution Order 2007.
They warned that the proposed restrictions could negatively affect local charter companies, taxi drivers, tour operators, hotels, villas, restaurants and other businesses that depend on visitors having reliable access to The Baths during the 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?” the trustees questioned.
They proposed increasing ordinary visitor entrance fees and encouraging major tourism companies to contribute directly to conservation, environmental education, infrastructure and the acquisition of environmentally important lands, instead of selling periods of exclusive access.
The National Parks Trust, however, defended the proposed arrangement as a necessary response to growing visitor numbers and escalating conservation costs.
According to the Trust, the Virgin Islands received 612,263 visitors during the first quarter of 2026, an increase of approximately 24 per cent over the corresponding period in 2025. Cruise passengers accounted for 493,397 of those visitors.
The Trust said it costs more than US$3 million annually to operate the National Parks system, 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.
It further explained that 19 of the Territory’s 22 National Parks generate no income, leaving revenue-producing locations such as The Baths and Devil’s Bay to help finance the wider system.
The Trust said every dollar generated by the proposed exclusive arrangement would be directed towards park operations and conservation. It also maintained that the arrangement would involve no sale, lease or transfer of any interest in the parks.
Virgin Islanders and residents currently enter The Baths free of charge upon presenting valid identification. The Trust said this would remain unchanged, although access would still be unavailable to the general public during the nine reserved morning periods.
The Trust has also requested the phased introduction of higher visitor entrance fees, moving from US$3 to US$10 from 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.
The Board acknowledged that the public learned about the proposed arrangement before it was formally explained, admitting that the sequence was “the wrong order.”
It has 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 p.m. to 8:00 p.m., when the Trust is expected to explain the proposal and hear directly from the community.
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