A view of Accra, Ghana’s capital city, where Governor Albert Bryan Jr. and the U.S. Virgin Islands delegation met with government and business leaders to strengthen trade, tourism, and technology partnerships. Photo Credit: GETTY IMAGES.
The U.S. Virgin Islands will host a Ghana-led delegation of public and private sector representatives for a business forum and industry showcase on St. Thomas next week, an effort Government House says is aimed at converting recent diplomatic engagement into concrete trade, tourism, and investment partnerships.
According to Government House, the visit builds on relationships established during Governor Albert Bryan Jr.’s recent trade mission to Ghana, which included participation from Virgin Islands stakeholders in business, labor, tourism, culture, and trade. Officials described the delegation as a continuation of those discussions, with a focus on measurable outcomes for the territory.
“This delegation represents a practical continuation of the relationships built during our Ghana trade mission,” Governor Bryan said. “We are focused on outcomes, expanding trade and tourism, strengthening financial and digital infrastructure, and building investable pathways that create jobs and opportunity for Virgin Islanders.”
The delegation includes representatives from Ghana and the broader West African region and is being convened with support from the Government of Ghana and the Ghana Tourism Authority, along with participating companies and institutions. The U.S. Virgin Islands Economic Development Authority and the U.S. Virgin Islands Department of Tourism are serving as official partners for the engagement and its public programming.
The public business forum and industry showcase is scheduled for Tuesday, January 27, 2026, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., at The Westin St. Thomas Beach Resort and Spa. Government House is encouraging participation from local entrepreneurs, small business owners, cultural leaders, labor representatives, community organizations, and members of the Legislature.
Officials said the forum will include structured discussions, networking sessions, and sector-specific engagement tied to priority areas identified during the Ghana trade mission and follow-up stakeholder meetings.
Among the focus areas are banking and international finance, with discussions expected to cover trade finance, small business lending, correspondent banking pathways, and diaspora financial services. The agenda also includes fintech and digital payments, addressing cross-border transactions, remittances, merchant services, digital identity and onboarding, and compliance-ready payment systems.
Additional engagement areas include technology and GovTech, such as modernization of public services, citizen portals, workflow automation, and cloud and IoT solutions. Officials also cited energy, infrastructure, and telecommunications, with discussions expected to explore resilient infrastructure delivery, broadband and network expansion, and clean and distributed energy solutions.
Tourism and destination development is another central component of the forum. Planned discussions include co-marketing initiatives, source-market partnerships, product development, and collaboration in cultural and heritage tourism. Government House said the Economic Development Authority will provide information on incentive programs and investment support, while the Department of Tourism will outline partnership pathways aligned with destination growth, airlift strategy, and visitor economy development.
Event details, including the agenda and registration information, will be shared through the Office of the Governor, the Economic Development Authority, and the Department of Tourism, officials said.
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