VG residents fear cruise “infestation” of local parks

File photo of visitors aboard a cruise ship docked in the BVI. (BVI News photo)

Virgin Gorda residents have raised alarm over what one resident described as a potential “infestation” of cruise ship passengers in the territory’s national parks, warning that unchecked visitor numbers could erode both the environment and the local experience.

The concerns surfaced during a community meeting focused on the management of parks including Spring Bay and The Baths, where residents pressed the National Parks Trust on carrying capacity and the balance between cruise and overnight visitors.

One resident said Spring Bay, recently refurbished at a cost of more than half a million dollars, remains a beach heavily used by locals. “What worries me very, very, very much is that if you open it up to the hordes of cruise ship passengers … it’s going to get ruined,” the resident stated. The resident added that cruise visitors “are affecting our national parks greatly” and that the limited space at some sites makes overcrowding inevitable.

Another participant warned that without firm limits, “the cruise ships will take over. They’ll become an infestation,” adding that while it was “a horrible thing to say,” unchecked numbers would overwhelm fragile sites.

Chairman of the National Parks Trust Clyde Lettsome acknowledged the strain. “Increasingly, we find that with the use … the carrying capacity cannot sustain what is going on,” he said. He also conceded that “our overnight guests are in a quandary in terms of when to go, how to go, where to go. We have to fix that”.

Lettsome noted that revenue from cruise visitors plays a major role in maintaining the parks. “Most of the funds we collect to upkeep the Baths, that’s where it comes from. That is just the truth,” he said. However, he agreed that “we have to work very carefully at carrying capacities”.

Residents also linked infrastructure improvements, such as proposed bathrooms at Spring Bay, to fears of attracting even larger tour groups. “Bathrooms equals cruise ship tourists,” one resident argued, questioning how authorities would manage numbers and protect the site.

Lettsome responded that doing nothing was not an option and said the Trust would examine placement and scale carefully. “We recognise that the carrying capacity is a danger,” he said, adding that the board must balance decency and access with preservation.

The debate comes amid broader concerns about cruise growth in the territory. According to figures cited at the meeting, hundreds of thousands of cruise passengers visit annually, placing sustained pressure on key attractions.

While no final decisions were announced, officials said further analysis of site capacity and management options is underway, with additional community meetings planned.