US Virgin Island to Scale Up Fees on Tour Boats

The Virgin Islands Port Authority (VIPA) has decided to introduce what it calls "cruising fees" for luxury yachts and "harbor fees" for tour boats, while at the same time, increasing existing marine fees.

An agency source told Caribbean Net News VIPA has no choice but to increase revenues in an effort to regain financial stability and strength following the near-crippling losses of the last three years. It lost 4.5 million dollars for Fiscal Year 2004, for a total of at least $13.5 million during the last three years.

The cruising and harbor fees are charged by other Caribbean destinations but it is the first time they would be in the US Virgin Islands and, even though the cruising fees are new, the harbor fees in some cases would replace other charges, for example, docking fees.

The Port Authority, a semi governmental agency, has jurisdiction to set rates that are fully compensatory to provide for operating expenses, capital projects, and other expenditures.

The fees to be imposed were compared with those in the British Virgin Islands, the Cayman Islands, St. Lucia, Puerto Rico and Jamaica, as well as Miami, Port Everglades, Cape Canaveral and Palm Beach, VIPA said.