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Does the BVI Gov care about tourism at all?
#206296
10/10/2019 11:28 AM
10/10/2019 11:28 AM
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Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 348 Pittsburgh, PA
Schwendy
OP
Traveler
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OP
Traveler
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 348
Pittsburgh, PA
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Next week will be my 8th or 9th visit to the BVI. I always arrive by ferry and as most will agree it's not always pleasant going through customs. Years ago I applied for and received the BVI VIP Card which is the program to expedite you through customs. I soon found out they require a minimum number of visits to actually get any of the benefits. Oddly enough, the USA being their most frequent visitor country required more visits than Europeans. Since I've had enough visits, I've gone through the tedious process of gathering everyone's documents in my party, filling out all of their forms, contacting them to confirm the program is still active and then submitting everything well in advance of my trip. Last year, after doing all of this, they told me the program was only being offered for airport passengers due to Irma. I checked this year for Road Town customs arriving by ferry and they said yes. Tried to confirm 3 times over the past two weeks and nothing but silence.
Fishing License. Each year I apply, I get the license within two or three days. This year, nothing. Emailed and called 3 times. Spoke directly with Ken in the Fisheries Dept. and he said he'd get right back to me. Nothing. I really don't think any island government from the Bahamas down to Grenada are very gracious towards there bread and butter visitors but the BVI takes the cake!
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Re: Does the BVI Gov care about tourism at all?
[Re: Schwendy]
#206297
10/10/2019 11:50 AM
10/10/2019 11:50 AM
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Joined: Oct 2009
Posts: 1,686 Memphis, BVI, CT
RatmansWife
Traveler
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Traveler
Joined: Oct 2009
Posts: 1,686
Memphis, BVI, CT
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Forget the VIP card: in my experience it’s worthless, and less so since Irma. It was a chatchke giveaway. We got the gold status. Twice I notified them of our arrival; twice nothing. Do not waste your time.
Fishing license I can’t help, but the BVI government was never a paradigm of efficiency, and it’s worse since Irma. To be fair, many of the government buildings have yet to be repaired, the landlines often don’t work, and working conditions are far from ideal. Maybe your charter company can help make it happen.
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Re: Does the BVI Gov care about tourism at all?
[Re: NCSailor]
#206352
10/11/2019 08:53 AM
10/11/2019 08:53 AM
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Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 805 Kannapolis, NC
ndfaninnc
Traveler
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Traveler
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 805
Kannapolis, NC
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As I've said before we have always land based until this coming trip. Customs on Tortola is the reason we started going to Anegada. Customs there is so much friendlier. A few times we've landed on Anegada and had to check in the next morning. But always friendly never taken more than 5 minutes. The first couple of trips after the storms we had to check in on Tortola. A great reminder of why we go to Anegada. Our next trip we are chartering out of St Thomas. Not sure how we will check in to the BVI. Hopefully that will be handled by our captain. But as my fellow North Carolinian stated, if it wasn't so beautiful...........
Go Irish!!
Bill
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Re: Does the BVI Gov care about tourism at all?
[Re: ndfaninnc]
#206383
10/11/2019 06:19 PM
10/11/2019 06:19 PM
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Joined: May 2004
Posts: 633
BaardJ
Traveler
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Traveler
Joined: May 2004
Posts: 633
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Our next trip we are chartering out of St Thomas. Not sure how we will check in to the BVI. Hopefully that will be handled by our captain. But as my fellow North Carolinian stated, if it wasn't so beautiful........... My boat is based with CYOA in St Thomas and we visit 5-5 times a year. After a couple lousy experiences at West End, I clear in exclusively at Great Harbour, JVD. Never any issues.
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Re: Does the BVI Gov care about tourism at all?
[Re: Schwendy]
#206413
10/12/2019 01:53 PM
10/12/2019 01:53 PM
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Joined: Oct 2001
Posts: 1,901 Maine
Breeze
Traveler
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Traveler
Joined: Oct 2001
Posts: 1,901
Maine
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DH and I live in a high tourist ( ski) area of New England. One of the lightning rods for " service industry" here right now is the Rite Aid-turning-Walgreens. At our age, we seem to be there a lot because our Rx drug refills aren't synchronized.
Our discussion this morning settled around the issue that employers cannot train "attitude". If employers want upbeat, friendly, helpful, empathetic and understanding employees, they have to hire specifically in favor of that " attitude" and reward that "attitude" institutionally as much as feasible. One pharmacy tech says " Hi David, how can we help you today? We saw you and your wife out to lunch the other day, it's good to see you two out and about." Another pharmacy tech looks at the scrip and sez, " Geeze, yeah, this again, probably be an hour or so, we all need to go on break or lunch."
Will Walgreens weed out the bad attitude?
It isn't necessarily that the employer doesn't care, it can be all about an employee pool that never gets paid enough, is frustrated and unwilling to feel " always onstage for others", and doesn't trust the employer not to change their own focus based on election, buy-out, or management change.
Humanity is not always easy.
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