Premier Dr Natalio Wheatley has stressed that the expansion of the Terrance B. Lettsome International Airport on Beef Island is key to the continued growth of the British Virgin Islands’ tourism product.

He made the remarks at a Friday, August 18 meeting attended by stakeholders of the industry who met to discuss the potential development of the territory’s main airport on Tortola.

“It is ultimately going to be our efforts. The efforts of ourselves which will lead to the expansion and strengthening of our tourism product and economy overall. So we cannot take a passive approach that if they want to come, they will come. We have to put ourselves in the best possible position for our economy to grow and to develop. One of the major things that our grandchildren and great-grandchildren will thank us for is expanding this runway,” the Finance Minister shared.

Ministry of Communications and Works Permanent Secretary Elvia Smith-Maduro chaired the meeting and presented the data of past administration’s attempts to scale up the airport.

Wheatley added that “when we look to the expansion of our economy, we have to look towards tourism, and certainly this government and whenever I have the opportunity, I speak to the fact that we have to develop tourism and invest more in tourism.”

The vision meetings are being held by Communications and Works Minister Kye Rymer and his team, who noted that his ministry has already engaged the Attorney General’s Chambers about their plans for the airport.

“I know these conversations wouldn’t be the first for some of you. But after being given the mandate of extending the runway publicly, I thought it was important that we have this dialogue and engage the stakeholders on how to move forward with the airport expansion,” Minister Rymer shared.

He added: “We have already engaged the Attorney General’s chambers and other stakeholders in terms of moving this project forward. But it’s time for us to get to the wider populace so that we can further these discussions.”