VI Government praised for openness to tourism
Speaking at the official opening ceremony of the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda last evening January 3, 2011 in Virgin Gorda, North Sound, His Highness stated that the “Government of the BVI is doing something that we have aspired to see in many countries, in my official role the Chairman on the Aga Khan Fund for economic development, which is an impact investor in the developing world, we have invested massively in the leisure industry in Africa, Central Asia, western Asia and I must tell you the most important thing that we look for is an enabling environment."
“I want to thank the Premier [Dr. D Orlando Smith] and his Government for making it possible for people to commit to tourism in this part of the world,” His Highness told over 300 guests, who were in attendance.
His Highness and David Johnson of Victor International have reportedly injected some $100M for the development of Oil Nut Bay, the marina and the Club House.
According to Wikipedia, His Highness Shah Karīm al-Hussaynī, who was born in Geneva Switzerland, owns hundreds of racehorses, valuable stud farms, an exclusive yacht club on Sardinia, a private island in the Bahamas, two Bombardier jets, a 12 seater helicopter, a £100 million high speed yacht named after his prize racehorse, and several estates around the world including an estate at Aiglemont, north of Paris. G. Pascal Zachary, of the The New York Times, wrote, "Part of the Aga Khan's personal wealth, which his advisers say exceeds $1 billion, comes from a ... system of tithes that some of the world's 15 million Ismaili Muslims pay him each year—an amount that ... may reach hundreds of millions of dollars annually.”
In giving a brief overview of investing in the VI, His Highness divulged that his Board wanted to establish a marina and presence in the Caribbean and was fortunate to hear and eventually meet Johnson - and the rest was history.
He noted that the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda Club in Italy has partnerships with clubs in US, Monaco and the United Kingdom (UK) where the members would have access to the VI club and he hopes “they bring a wide spectrum of valuable guests to this part of the world.”
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