USVI Tops Most Resilient Caribbean Destination List; Boschulte Says Tourism Sector Performing Beyond Expectations
V.I. Department of Tourism Commissioner Joseph Boschulte has disclosed that the tourism sector in the U.S. Virgin Islands is performing beyond expectations and the completion of phase one of the Henry E. Rohlsen Airport Terminal Expansion and Modernization Project will continue to build on that outstanding performance.
2021-12-21 12:50:48 - VI News Staff
“We are doing extremely well, this particular project is important for the next step for the U.S. Virgin Islands in terms of our movement as a lead overnight destination in the Caribbean,” Mr. Boschulte said while delivering remarks at a ribbon-cutting ceremony to mark the completion and handing over of phase one of the project on Monday.
“Before the pandemic, 70 percent of our traffic to the USVI came on cruise, right now over 90 percent of our traffic comes from overnight guests and all our overnight guests come through the airports,” he said in his remarks.
“And I think that over the past 20 months we have begun to see what we heard about for many, many years in that the overnight visitor spends differently than the cruise visitor so we have to continue to recognize that, and at the Department of Tourism we will continue to do that. The project is spectacular…the USVI is on the rise,” Mr. Boschulte said.
He said D.O.T. recognizes the potential for St. Croix to be a leading tourism destination in the Caribbean. “We believe St. Croix is a gem that is beginning to shine in the tourism space, and we can see it in the demand for the territory,” he said while reminding the audience of the ongoing tourism campaign which says, “St. Croix, A Vibe Like No Other”.