U.S. VIRGIN ISLANDS RANKS IN CARIBBEAN JOURNAL’S 2024 CARIBBEAN TRAVEL AWARDS
St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands (December 13, 2023)— The U.S. Virgin Islands (USVI) received top accolades from Caribbean Journal’s 2024 Caribbean Travel Awards, receiving three significant honors, including Innovation Destination of the Year.
“This year we set a goal to expand our reach, explore new opportunities, and welcome new visitors. Receiving this award is a testament to the innovative work of the Department of Tourism and our agency partners to reach our goals and set new heights for destination marketing,” shared Commissioner Joseph Boschulte. “I want to thank the team at Caribbean Journal for not just recognizing our destination but congratulating the effort made by our team to set our destination apart.”
Caribbean Journal shared, ”The USVI has, as much as any destination, been going out and getting travelers from around the world, often in new ways, from clever participation at events that don’t typically have tourism sponsors, to a decidedly forward-thinking push in sports and sports tourism, one focused on channeling passionate fan bases and turning them into, well, passionate fans of the USVI.”
The island of St. Thomas secured Cruise Destination of the Year, which is an cross-agency win for the Department of Tourism, Port Authority and West Indian Company Limited (WICO), as well as the many Virgin Islanders who work in hospitality and adjacent industries that interface with the millions of cruise passengers who arrive to the shores of the territory for a short but impactful experience.
The destination’s newly opened Westin Beach Resort & Spa at Frenchman’s Reef received the New Caribbean Hotel of the Year award. Following a multi-million-dollar renovation, the Westin at Frenchman’s Reef opened in September of 2023, expanding the island’s availability by more than 390 rooms.
The Caribbean Journal touted the property as “a colorful, bright, meticulously executed property that doesn’t just honor the legacy of this site — it redefines it, and the USVI’s tourism landscape along with it.”
For more information about the U.S. Virgin Islands and its offerings, please visit https://www.visitusvi.com/.
About the U.S. Virgin Islands
About 40 miles east of Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands comprise a United States territory located in the northeastern Caribbean Sea. The three islands are St. Croix, St. John, and St. Thomas, where the capital of Charlotte Amalie is located. Perfect for leisure or business travel, the U.S. Virgin Islands features breathtaking, world-renowned beaches, an international marine industry, European architecture, and a burgeoning restaurant industry. No passports are required from U.S. citizens traveling from the U.S. mainland or Puerto Rico. Entry requirements for non-U.S. citizens are equivalent to entering the United States from any international country. Upon departure, a passport is required for non-U.S. citizens. For more information about the United States Virgin Islands, go to www.VisitUSVI.com, follow us on Instagram (@visitusvi) and Twitter (@usvitourism), and become a fan on Facebook (www.facebook.com/VisitUSVI).