Thank you to those who were able to participate in the virtual Town Hall Meeting on Nov. 5 in support of the creation of the five-year USVI Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (CEDS) and the Tourism Master Plan (TMP). For those who were unable to attend, we hope you will take the online survey to provide essential feedback for the CEDS and TMP. This survey will help gather data for executing the plan over the next 20 years as these two plans will feed into the Vision2040 plan. This is your opportunity for your voice to be heard and your valuable feedback to be taken into account. Participation is necessary to ensure our vision for the future of our industry is an essential part of the plans.
About CEDS and TMP: The Government of the USVI has engaged the University of the Virgin Islands, Center for Excellence in Leadership and Learning (UVI CELL) in the creation of the CEDS and the TMP. The CEDS is a locally-based, regionally-driven economic development planning process and document that allows regions to identify strengths and weaknesses and brings together a diverse set of partners to generate jobs, diversify the economy and spur economic growth. The TMP will capture and address post-hurricane and post-COVID-19 impacts on the tourism industry and identify ways to make the industry less vulnerable to economic downturns and natural disasters. The goal is to develop a TMP that lays out the path to a more competitive, diversified, sustainable and resilient tourism industry for the territory. Your participation and feedback are critical to the development of the USVI CEDS/TMP.