On Our Radar: The picturesque archipelago of the BVIs

The archipelago of the British Virgin Islands is well-known for its celebrity fans, perhaps most-notably Richard Branson, who after falling in love with them, bought and built a luxury resort on Necker Island.

Although it may cost a hefty sum to relax in the salubrious surroundings of Branson’s Virgin Limited Edition property, the islands actually offer much in the way of affordability as I discovered after speaking to Ginny Hawksley, managing consultant at the British Virgin Islands Tourist Board.

“People think the BVIs are expensive and yes, we’ve got Necker Island and Valley Trunk, but we also have lovely small properties with lead-in rates of $200 a night. We are really trying to get that message out at the moment. People will contact us and say that they only have a budget of £4,000 thinking you need £15,000 to holiday in the BVIs – this isn’t the case.”

She explained that a deal between British Airways and InterCaribbean Airways means clients can now take one of three direct weekly flights from Antigua to the BVIs: “It’s a 50-minute flight in place of a two-hour transfer; it’s been a real game changer for us.”

Hawksley also revealed that the region was experiencing a significant upturn in bookings.

“We started a massive promotion last May on villas and sailing, and as a result both our yacht charter and villa operators are reporting the highest number of bookings they have ever had.”

Working with the travel trade remains a top priority for the BVIs. The tourism board recently partnered with Hayes & Jarvis and meets regularly with its top sellers, ITC, Caribtours, Turquoise Holidays and Elegant Resorts.

“We have a three-day agent road show pencilled in for October where 11 hotels and partners will be joining us. We start in Chester on October 3 before moving on to Solihull on the 4th and ending in London on the 5th,” Hawksley added.

Although getting to the BVIs may now be easier than ever, she admitted the region is particularly proud of its reputation for being unspoilt: “We don’t have any franchises, we don’t have people trying to sell you things as you walk down the beach and we don’t have crowds. We are very proud of how safe the islands are too – the majority of hotels don’t even have keys for the rooms.”

It seems that in the BVIs, even mere mortals can enjoy the exclusivity of the celebrity lifestyle.