Tourists are seeing our ‘dirty’ country — Smith

Former Deputy Premier Lorna Smith has urged the government to improve its efforts in cleaning up the BVI, highlighting the territory’s ongoing execution problem and raising concerns about its image as the peak tourism season gets underway.

Speaking in the House of Assembly recently, Smith emphasised the need for immediate action to tidy up areas frequented by visitors, particularly Jost Van Dyke and Anegada. Smith noted that while Virgin Gorda maintains a clean and tidy appearance, other islands like Jost Van Dyke and Anegada “leave a lot to be desired.”

She described the presence of derelict vehicles and an unkempt environment as “unacceptable,” especially with an expected influx of tourists over the coming weeks. “The BVI is one of the most beautiful countries on earth by everybody’s admission, but we have to keep the BVI beautiful by cleaning it up,” Smith argued. She expressed concern that visitors arriving in the territory are encountering “a dirty, unkempt, untidy country,” and stressed that recent heavy rains should not serve as an excuse for the current state.