These lesser-known American islands will emerge as a new leader in Caribbean tourism in 2024

The United States Virgin Islands (USVI) have quickly positioned themselves as a new leading destination in the Caribbean by 2024.

The numbers back them up. In the first half of 2024, this U.S. overseas territory saw a 26.5 percent increase in tourist arrivals compared to the first quarter of 2023.

Trends predict that USVI will have a 24 percent increase in air visitors by the end of 2024, compared to last year.

In fact, St. Thomas has been identified as the top domestic destination for American travelers, according to a study that travel group Expedia unveiled a few weeks ago.

Part of this success is due to the increase in the number of routes connecting the mainland to the islands, said Tourism Commissioner Joseph Boschulte. And there are more to come.

“One of the things I’m very proud to say is that there’s a new lift coming to St. Croix…Frontier is coming to St. Croix for the first time and JetBlue is coming back. It is important not only to help make connections back to the mainland, but also through the Caribbean.” he said.

In an effort to boost the local tourism industry and position their brand as a strong player in the Caribbean, the USVI Department of Tourism hosted its first-ever summit a few days ago at the Westin Resort at Frenchman’s Reef.

“We remain a leader in regional tourism,” Boschulte said during the event.

For most of its history, the USVI had not received large masses of stay-over tourists, as the islands previously focused on cruise tourism.

But with the arrival of the pandemic, the destination was forced to shift its focus to stay-over tourism, allowing it to experience unprecedented growth.

The main reason given by the government for holding the summit was the need to accelerate the development of companies that are part of or directly related to the sector. A few weeks ago, Boschulte explained its importance.

“From Ministry of Tourism staff to hotel, restaurant, boutique, retail and attraction staff, taxi drivers and everyone who shares a welcoming smile with visitors, the collective efforts have not gone unnoticed and have been reflected in the constant increase of the number of visitors. .”

But if the USVI wants to position itself as the undisputed leader in the region, they will have to overcome strong competitors.

So far in 2024, at least eleven islands have broken all records and surpassed the number of visitors they received before the pandemic.

Some of these islands include Aruba, Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, Jamaica, Curacao, the Cayman Islands, Bonaire and Antigua and Barbuda.