Governor Bryan and DSPR Commissioner Calvert White Detail Tourism and Carnival Horse Race Plans

U.S. VIRGIN ISLANDS – Governor Albert Bryan Jr. hosted the weekly Government House briefing from Government House on St. Thomas today, highlighting his recent trip to the Sea Trade Global Conference and outlining plans for a tourism summit in July. Governor Bryan was joined by Sports, Parks and Recreation Commissioner Calvert White, who presented details about the upcoming Carnival Rebirth Horse Races on May 3, which will take place at the newly rebuilt Clinton E. Phipps Racetrack on St. Thomas.

While at Sea Trade last week, Governor Bryan participated in what he termed “a series of very productive and insightful engagements” with cruise industry partners and with the executive leadership of major cruise lines including Disney Cruise Line, Norwegian, MSC Cruises, Holland America, and Princess Caribbean.

While in years past Governor Bryan discounted the importance of attending the Sea Trade conference, he said he has come to realize that the Sea Trade conference is actually “a cornerstone for future developments in our tourism sector,” particularly when it comes to the US Virgin Islands’ cruise line engagements.

Governor Bryan called his meetings with cruise line executives “pivotal,” adding, “We exchanged a host of innovative ideas that, if realized, promise exciting prospects for our islands, especially St. Croix.”

Governor Bryan got a firsthand look at how the VI Department of Tourism uses data and analytics to learn where visitors like to go and what they like to do—something that ultimately promotes making better-informed decisions about the improvements needed for the Territory’s tourism product.