As international travelers flying into the United States and its territories are no longer required to provide a negative COVID-19 test to fly into the country, the U.S. Virgin Islands (U.S.V.I.), as a territory of the United States, is reminding travelers without U.S. passports that the islands of St. Croix, St. John, and St. Thomas are now fully accessible without COVID-19 testing.
The COVID-19 testing requirements were one of the longest standing hurdles for international travelers following the pandemic’s onset in 2020.
Following the lifting of those restrictions on Sunday, June 11, 2022, U.S.V.I. Commissioner of Tourism Joseph Boschulte said, “Travelers from around the world can return to our beautiful and intriguing islands without any additional paperwork or requirements. We’ve been aggressively pushing our marketing strategy to focus on the overnight traveler. Additionally, we’ve seen a growing trend of extended stays since the pandemic, and with summer travel in season, our international travelers can expect a collection of short term to extended stay accommodations across all three islands of St. Croix, St. John, and St. Thomas.”
International interest for the U.S.V.I. among industry leaders is strong and was apparent during IPW in Orlando, Florida, the nation’s largest inbound travel show. The U.S.V.I. partnered with the U.S. Travel Association to highlight the territory as the ideal Caribbean destination for international travel with strategic branding throughout the conference, editorial placements, and a press conference hosted by the U.S.V.I. with more than 200 international journalists attending. Now, with the testing requirement lifted, the U.S.V.I. is poised to regain an international market share with a push for new, unique experiences in the destination.
Within the territory, visitors can expect a range of accommodations and experiences. The Lovango Resort and Beach Club is one of the latest properties to come on board as the first newbuild in more than 30 years, followed by the two new Frenchman’s Reef properties—the Westin Beach Resort and Spa at Frenchman’s Reef and The Seaborn at Frenchman’s Reef, an Autograph Collection, coming Fall 2022. Major events are back this year, such as Taste of St. Croix, gathering more than 50 of the island’s best-known chefs, specialty cooks, bartenders and baristas who serve a variety of recipes inspired by local traditions. St. John Carnival will take place from June 26-July 4 this year with an island-wide celebration that has gone on for 68 years. Additionally, the St. Croix Crucian Festival takes place in December to usher in the holidays with events, food fairs, horse races, and more.
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