The U.S.
Virgin Islands welcomed an unprecedented number of visitors in 2024,
highlighting the continued growth of St. Thomas, St. Croix and St. John as
leading tourist destinations.
On December 28, 2024, the Islands recorded 4,606 passenger
arrivals, surpassing the single-day arrival record set in March 2024. This represented
a new weekly passenger arrival record, with over 24,000 visitors, marking a
5.92 percent increase over the previous record.
“As a destination, we continue to explore, elevate, and
improve, which further supports the ongoing goal to build upon our commitment
to be a premier
Caribbean destination,” said Commissioner Joseph Boschulte of the U.S.
Virgin Islands Department of Tourism.
In 2024, combined airline arrivals at Cyril E. King Airport
in St. Thomas and Henry E. Rohlsen Airport in St. Croix totaled 932,265
passengers. This surpassed the previous record set during the COVID-19 pandemic
by over 100,000 passengers, representing a 16.5 percent increase compared to
2023.
A record-breaking month of arrivals in March were recorded
with 106,026 visitors and the introduction or return of airline routes from
American Airlines, Cape Air, Delta Air Lines, Frontier, JetBlue, Spirit
Airlines, Sun Country and United Airlines.
The Caribbean territory also experienced a significant boost
in cruise passengers, welcoming 1,770,922, a 9.8 percent increase compared to
2023 and driven by maiden voyages of Scarlet Lady, Icon of the Seas, Disney
Treasure, Explora I, Sun Princess, Explora II, Emerald Azzurra, Celebrity Apex,
and Rhapsody of the Seas.
In addition to welcoming more visitors, the territory also
received several prestigious industry honors, including:
- Porthole Cruise and Travel Magazine: Best
Caribbean Cruise Destination 2024
- Caribbean Journal Caribbean Travel Award: Caribbean
Culinary Destination: St. Croix Caribbean Yachting Destination of the Year, Event
Destination of the Year
- USA TODAY 10 Best Readers’ Choice Travel Awards:
Top 10 Best Beach-Honeymoon Beach, St. John.
- The World’s 50 Best Beaches presented by Banana Boat: Number
1 Best Beach in the World 2024, Trunk Bay, St. John
- Expedia 2024 Summer Outlook: Number 1 Domestic
Trending Summer Destination, St. Thomas
- HSMAI Adrian Awards: Experiential Marketing
Bronze Award- The U.S. Virgin Islands’ Caribbean Way of Sports & Lifestyle
Tourism Integrated Campaign
“As we look to 2025, we will continue to push the creativity
of our marketing strategies, which includes advertising, social media, public
relations, and partnerships to connect with and keep the U.S. Virgin Islands
top of mind for new and returning travelers,” added Commissioner
Boschulte.
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