Governor and DOT Promote USVI Tourism During Recent Trip

During a trip to the new American Airlines headquarters in Dallas last week, Governor Albert Bryan Jr. thanked the airline for expanding its partnership with the USVI as the Territory strives to bolster its appeal as a travel and business destination.

“We are undergoing a transformation for the better, and intend to not only lead the region across multiple tourism indicators, but also to work with our neighbors to help position the entire Caribbean as a first class location for vacationers and business travelers,” Gov. Bryan Jr. said in a statement released by the VI Department of Tourism.

Since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2019, tourism has largely suffered in the Caribbean, but remained a relative point of success for the Virgin Islands. According to the Caribbean Trade Organization, tourist arrivals declined by 65.5% from 2019 to 2020 compared to a 35.1% reduction compared to the USVI.

During the meeting with representatives from American Airlines last week, the governor cited the “business-minded approach to route development,” infrastructure repairs to airports and tourist locations, and repairs to hotels and resorts damaged by the 2017 hurricanes as contributing factors to staving off steeper declines in tourism.

Over the summer, American Airlines served daily flights from New York and Philadelphia, two flights each day from Dallas and three flights each day from Charlotte Amalie and Miami. On St. Croix, flights arrived daily from Charlotte Amalie and twice a day for Miami, according to the DOT release.

In December 2020, American Airlines began offering pre-flight testing for ease of access and compliance with the Territory’s COVID-19 guidelines. Commissioner of Tourism Joseph Boschulte, who joined the governor during the Dallas trip, said that his department aims to market the Territory’s “value proposition” and “seamless travel experience” through mechanisms such as the custom built Travel Screening Portal.

“Ease of access will continue to be our mantra as we position the Territory and prepare for upcoming challenges and opportunities in travel and tourism,” said Boschulte in the release.

During the mainland excursion, Boschulte also met with members of Southwest Airlines to explore the possibility of adding new routes to the Virgin Islands. Both the governor and the tourism commissioner appeared on local networks to discuss travel in the USVI.

“As the world opens up, the availability of aircraft has become a challenge for small states and territories such as ours,” Boschulte said, according to the DOT release. “So it is critically important to remain visible and strengthen our relationships across the sector.”