In my "previous life" I was a land-based BVI visitor, probably around 8 weeklong visits between 1996 and 2007. We usually stayed at Long Bay in villas, or at different villas in Belmont and CGB. This was prior to the cruise pier expansion, and the number of cruise visitors was much lower than today. We met many other land based folks, and the balance between bareboat folks and land visitors, while a bit wide, wasn't too out of whack.
During 2013 I returned for a 3-day stay before a week in St John. The changes from 2007 to 2013 were pretty noticeable. Fewer places open for dinner. Tons of loungers all over CGB. Lots of cab traffic during the day with cruise ship folks, and then very little activity anywhere except CGB in the evenings.
In May of 2025 my daughter and son-in-law honeymooned on Tortola. From her description things are even quieter for land based visitors than it was in 2013. Even more cruise trippers, and even less activity in the evenings or the days when ships weren't in port. Lots of beach bars weren't even open when there were no cruise ships in port. It feels as though the BVI is shifting even further toward catering to bareboaters and cruise ship daytrippers, and even further away from being a land-based destination
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