Warm blessings of this Season of Joy to all of you from U.S. Virgin Islands Tourism!
We have much to be thankful for after such a challenging year. As the pandemic continues to evolve, we resolve to maintain our commitment to protecting lives and livelihoods, and we remember and give thanks for lost ones as well as our frontline health care workers.
Equally important, we are grateful to you, our hospitality and tourism partners, for aligning with the Territory’s COVID-19 protocols. Thanks to your efforts, we have been recognized as a leader in keeping our people and our visitors safe from the spread of the coronavirus. As we head into 2022 we cannot afford to let down our guard. The Government of the Virgin Islands, and those of our Caribbean neighbours, have worked tirelessly to keep our regional bread-and-butter industry alive and well during these unprecedented times but there is much to do before we can return to pre-pandemic levels of success.
We are also indebted to our marketing and communications partners for their outstanding efforts in getting the word out clearly and consistently about the Territory’s protocols, achievements and attractiveness. Some of the recent Caribbean accolades we received include: Innovative Destination of the Year and Yachting Destination of the Year (Caribbean Journal); and Most Resilient Caribbean Destination - 2022 Travel (ForwardKeys). We have also consistently led the Caribbean in ADR throughout the pandemic, according to reports from STR.
We are optimistic about what 2022 will bring if we continue to stay the course, strengthen our partnerships and communication, and refuse to settle into complacency. But for now, we wish you a joy-filled and peaceful holiday with family, friends and loved ones.
Merry Christmas!
Joseph B. Boschulte
Commissioner
U.S. Virgin Islands Department of Tourism
