On behalf of the entire team at the Department of Tourism, I write with warm greetings and much gratitude for your support and partnership during my first two years as Commissioner.
I also want to congratulate you for your tremendous efforts in promoting the U.S. Virgin Islands. This is an essential element of our overall marketing strategy, and is even more crucial during a pandemic, when tourism all over the globe has been dealt a severe blow. Your positive Virgin Islands vibes help us promote the Territory with confidence, knowing that you are a reflection of our messaging.
In case you haven’t heard, let me share with you just one of our recent triumphs: the USVI was named “Destination of the Year” by Caribbean Journal, a leading digital travel news publication, capturing the top spot in the 7th edition of the Caribbean Travel Awards. The Territory was acknowledged for being a model for tourism reopenings in the Caribbean, which validates our efforts to promote safe travel and to welcome visitors to our shores.
Without a doubt, 2020 has been a turbulent year, and many of us have experienced anxiety and suffered loss. But it has also been a time when we have come together as never before to care for one another, to celebrate the values and people we cherish, to bear one another’s burdens, and to find solutions to overcome our challenges.
As the year draws to a close and we look forward with hopeful anticipation, I invite you to join me in embracing positivity and tapping into our special Virgin Islands spirit, creativity and resilience. Reach out and share your thoughts and ideas about how we can continue to build on our successes as well as address areas that need to be strengthened.
The team and I hope to see many of you “on the road” once pandemic-related travel restrictions are lessened and, of course, in our beloved Territory.
To those of you who are coming home for the holidays, please be reminded that every traveler aged five or older who enters the USVI must use the Travel Screening Portal (www.usvitravelportal.com) and submit a COVID-19 test result prior to travel to avoid processing delays, enhanced health screening and/or mandatory self-quarantine.
Wishing you a Merry Christmas, Happy New Year’s celebration, and countless blessings in 2021!
Sincerely,
Joseph B. Boschulte
Commissioner of Tourism
U.S. Virgin Islands Department of Tourism
About the U.S. Virgin Islands
For more information about the United States Virgin Islands, go to VisitUSVI.com, follow us on Instagram (@visitusvi) and Twitter (@usvitourism), and become a fan on Facebook (www.facebook.com/VisitUSVI). When traveling to the U.S. Virgin Islands, U.S. citizens enjoy all the conveniences of domestic travel – including on-line check-in – making travel to the U.S. Virgin Islands easier than ever. As a United States Territory, travel to the U.S. Virgin Islands does not require a passport from U.S. citizens arriving from Puerto Rico or the U.S. mainland. Entry requirements for non-U.S. citizens are the same as for entering the United States from any foreign destination. Upon departure, a passport is required for all but U.S. citizens.
ENDS
