The US Virgin Islands (USVI) have been rapidly positioning themselves as a new leading destination in the Caribbean in 2024.
The numbers back them up. In the first half of 2024, this American overseas territory saw a 26.5 percent jump in tourism arrivals over Q1 in 2023.
Trends predict that by the end of 2024, USVI will have an increase of up to 24 percent in air visitors, compared to last year.
In fact, St. Thomas has been designated as the top domestic destination for US travelers, according to a survey revealed by travel group Expedia a few weeks ago.
Part of this success is due to the increase in routes connecting the mainland to the islands, said Tourism Commissioner Joseph Boschulte. And more are coming up.
“One of the things I am very proud to say is we’re getting new lift coming into St. Croix… Frontier coming into St. Croix for the first time and JetBlue coming back. It’s important not only for helping to make connections back to the mainland but also through the Caribbean,” he said.
In a bid to boost the local tourism sector and position their brand as a strong player in the Caribbean, the USVI Department of Tourism hosted its first-ever summit at the Westin Resort at Frenchman’s Reef a few days ago.
“We continue to be a leader in regional tourism,” said Boschulte during the event.
For most of its history, the USVI had not received large masses of stayover tourists as the islands used to focus on cruise tourism.
But with the advent of the pandemic, the destination was forced to shift its target to stayover tourism, allowing it to experience a growth never seen before.
The main reason the government expressed for holding the summit was the need to accelerate the development of businesses that are part of or directly associated with the industry. A few weeks ago, Boschulte explained its importance.
“From the Department of Tourism staff to hotel, restaurant, boutiques, shops and attraction staff, taxi drivers, and everyone who shares a welcoming smile with visitors, the collaborative efforts do not go unnoticed and have reflectively shown in the constant increases in visitation numbers.”
But if the USVI want to position themselves as the undisputed leader in the region, they will have to overcome strong competitors.
So far in 2024, at least 11 islands have broken all records and surpassed the number of visitors they used to receive before the pandemic.
Some of these islands include Aruba, Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, Jamaica, Curacao, the Cayman Islands, Bonaire and Antigua and Barbuda.