Debate Over Baths' Exclusive Mornings Sparks Public
The National Parks Trust of the Virgin Islands (NPTVI) is in advanced talks with an unnamed cruise line to reserve nine mornings at The Baths and Devil’s Bay during the upcoming peak season, restricting public access from 9 a.m. to noon for up to 150 cruise visitors per window. The proposal, described by the Trust as part of a wider carrying-capacity plan to protect the Greater Baths and raise conservation revenue, has prompted public concern and legal objections from trustees and residents. VINO and local reporting say critics warn the move could conflict with the Territory’s constitutional protections and harm local tourism livelihoods; the Trust says funds would go to park operations and that residents would continue to enter free with ID.
ROAD TOWN — The National Parks Trust of the Virgin Islands (NPTVI) has confirmed it is negotiating an agreement to reserve nine mornings at The Baths and Devil’s Bay for a private international cruise operator during the upcoming peak season, limiting access from 9:00 a.m. to noon and allowing fewer than 150 visitors per reserved morning, with normal public access resuming at midday if an agreement is finalised.
The arrangement — which the Trust says does not include Spring Bay National Park — was announced after days of public concern. Virgin Gorda tourism operator Sharon Flax Brutus publicly sought clarification about possible restrictions, prompting the Trust to issue a statement clarifying several points, including that the cruise line remains unnamed while commercial negotiations continue (Guavaberry).
VINO later reported a strong public outcry and widespread questioning of the plan. The Trust frames the proposal as one element of a carrying-capacity strategy aimed at protecting the fragile trails, caves and boulder formations of the Greater Baths and Devil’s Bay. In its statement, the Trust cited first-quarter 2026 tourism figures showing 612,263 visitors to the BVI between January and March — a 23.9 percent increase from 2025 — and cruise arrivals up 29.3 percent to 493,397.
The Trust says The Baths is absorbing a disproportionate share of that growth and cannot be physically expanded to accommodate more people. Planned measures outlined by the Trust include scheduled rest days, staggered and timed entry, and the nine mornings of capped premium access.
The Trust says revenue from such measures would fund additional rangers, conservation work and general park operations. The Trust estimates more than US$3 million is needed annually to run the national parks system while government funding covers roughly 28 percent; 19 of 22 parks generate no income, so revenue-producing sites like The Baths and Devil’s Bay support the wider system.
The Trust also referenced more than US$500,000 spent on restoration at Spring Bay and recent infrastructure upgrades across the Greater Baths area (Guavaberry). Two National Parks Trust trustees, Shereen D. Flax-Charles and Lawrence Wheatley, said they had “absolutely no prior knowledge” of any plan to establish exclusive access windows and do not support excluding the general public for the benefit of a private company, according to VINO.
They warned the move could violate long-standing principles that BVI beaches are open to residents, raise constitutional questions under the Virgin Islands Constitution Order 2007, and harm local taxi, charter and tour operators who rely on predictable access. The Trust has defended the plan, saying there would be no sale, lease or transfer of park land and that every dollar from any exclusive-access arrangement would go to park operations and conservation (VINO).
It acknowledged the public learned of the proposal before full explanation and called that sequence “the wrong order,” promising to publish any nine reserved dates in advance if a deal is signed. Cabinet has reportedly approved phased entrance fee increases — from US$3 to US$10 on Nov. 1, 2026, and to US$20 on April 1, 2027 — while Virgin Islanders and residents would continue to enter free with valid ID.
The Trust will host a virtual public meeting on Aug. 27 from 6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. to discuss the proposal and wider carrying-capacity measures. For many residents of Virgin Gorda and the wider BVI, the debate now reaches beyond nine mornings: it is about how to balance conservation funding, growing visitor numbers, and open public access to shared natural heritage.
Primary source: Guavaberry