VI sees record-breaking increase in tourist arrivals for 2nd quarter of 2025- Premier

ROAD TOWN, Tortola, VI- Premier and Minister of Finance Dr the Honourable Natalio D. Wheatley (R7) has reported a record-breaking number of tourist arrivals in the Virgin Islands for the second quarter of the year.

This information was revealed during the Virgin Islands Voice programme held on Wednesday, July 9, 2025.

Increases seen across ‘all categories’

The Premier provided a detailed overview of the figures for the second quarter, stating, “In the second quarter, we had a total of 211,093 tourist arrivals, which is up 13.8 percent from last year’s 185,558. We are doing well, and we have seen increases across all categories.”

He noted an increase in day trippers, which rose to 5,865 compared to 4,030 last year, reflecting a 45.5 percent increase. Conversely, the number of overnight visitors experienced a slight decline of less than 1 percent, with 84,339 this year compared to 84,974 last year. However, cruise passenger numbers surged by 25.2 percent, reaching 120,889 compared to just 96,534 in 2024.

“If you look at the first half of this year versus the first half of last year, we have recorded a total of 707,418 tourist arrivals, marking a 3.6 percent increase from last year’s 683,140 tourists. The number of day trippers increased significantly to 11,664, up from 7,653 last year, which is a 52.4 percent rise,” he added.