I do not see any plan or path to mass tourism. In fact the opposite may come into play. Fewer visitor than the 300,000 overnite today spread over more months of the year at greater spend per night is economically possible. No one should fault the belongers for an attempt at a higher quality of life and the equivalent of their own middle class in the future. On those small BVI islands that is only possible with a greater hospitality spend per person per night. Secret banking is not the sustainable long term path to nirvana. For those that crave bargain airfares. There is no free lunch in the mature and highly sophisticated airline industry. Cheap fares are always the discounting, even giving away, of excess seat capacity. That happens during non peak times and when planes are being re-positioned to capture those passengers willing to pay a premium. Every cheap fare must be offset by someone paying a premium at another time or on another route. Southwest today runs their airline on +/- 15 cents per mile per passenger plus any fees and taxes each time a plane lands and takes off. That incremental stop landing and taking off at SJU really adds to the cost of the trip. For those traveling less than 2,000 miles the air cost should be +/-$300 each way plus fees and taxes. Anytime your ticket cost is less that 15 cents per mile someone else is paying part of your tab somewhere.

There are many senior executives and those with large life insurance policies who cannot fly on single engine aircraft. There others with a lot to live for who simply will not fly on single engine aircraft. There are still more who will not bring their healthy friends and family anyplace without a full service hospital and any location where AMEX cannot dispatch a FAA 135 air ambulance to take them back home when they do not feel well or get hurt. For two decades or more my AMEX benefits allow anyone I purchased the inbound ticket using the AMEX to be returned home via air ambulance should they become ill or injured on the trip.

Mass cheap travel... look to Mexico, the DR, Caymans, the BVI will never be able to play in that game and I see no hint they want to. I do see a clear attempt to higher quality properties are far more per night. The same will come into play for boats and when you look at the new large multi hulls is really already here. The bar tabs at Pirates may be another example. During my first trips in the early 80's we spent less than 1,000 per person per week including airfare. Our trips today start at $25K and go up.

Those planes in the desert are there because they cost too much per hour to operate compared to newer designs and in some cases simply make too much noise to land and takeoff many places.

Again regular reliable jet access into and out of the BVI each day direct to US hubs is the key to long term property values in the BVI.