Flax-Brutus Urges Event Tourism Expansion
Former BVI Tourist Board director Sharon Flax-Brutus is calling for the Territory to broaden its tourism offering by developing event tourism alongside culinary and adventure products. She told the government's Beyond the Horizon video series that the BVI already has the 'bones' for growth but needs coordinated action across government, industry and education while protecting the Territory’s authentic local character.
Sharon Flax-Brutus, former director of the BVI Tourist Board and co-owner of White Oleander Destinations on Virgin Gorda, is urging the British Virgin Islands to expand into event tourism as a way to diversify and strengthen the local visitor economy. Speaking on the government's Beyond the Horizon video series, Flax-Brutus said the BVI is well positioned in the luxury market but must pursue new niches that attract targeted demographics. “Event tourism as well is very important.
Those are things that people, the demographic that we’re looking for, would travel for something like that,” she said. Flax-Brutus pointed to progress in specialised areas such as culinary tourism as a model. The Territory, she noted, was not known for food tourism in the past but has since developed high-end dining options, including omakase Japanese experiences and locally based celebrity chefs. “We have celebrity chefs of our own who’ve lived in the U.S., attended events in the U.S. such as Sous Vide and Aspen,” she said.
Beyond food, she urged expansion of adventure tourism and the creation of events—festivals, regattas, conferences, sports and cultural showcases—that can generate targeted visitation and extend stays. Event tourism can help smooth seasonality, draw higher-spending visitors, and spotlight local businesses and artists, offering economic benefits across sectors.
Flax-Brutus emphasised that the Territory already has key assets: favourable geography, improving air and sea access, and telecommunications infrastructure. “We have the bones. The bones for spectacular tourism are there,” she said, while stressing the need for coordinated action among government, the House of Assembly, hotel and marine associations, education providers and financial services.
She also warned against losing local character in the pursuit of growth. “People are our greatest resource here in the BVI,” Flax-Brutus said. “We can’t sterilise, as I say, the BVI experience too much.” Her definition of luxury centres on the quality of the experience rather than price: “Luxury... it’s the way that the BVI makes you feel.” For BVI residents, the proposal implies opportunities and questions: job creation and business for hotels, marinas, caterers and entertainers, but also the need for workforce training, event infrastructure, transport planning and careful community consultation to preserve culture and environment.
Flax-Brutus’s comments, published as part of the Beyond the Horizon series on February 9, 2026, add to ongoing discussions about tourism strategy and post-recovery economic resilience in the Territory.
Primary source: BVI News