Tourism industry leaders in the U.S. Virgin Islands announced a new alliance with their regional counterparts during Thursday’s annual meeting of the USVI Hotel and Tourism Association. Vanessa Ledesma, the acting director of the Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association, served as the guest speaker at the event, which was held at The Ritz-Carlton on St. Thomas.
As part of this strengthened collaboration, St. Thomas-St. John Hotel and Tourism Association President Lisa Hamilton was appointed first regional vice president for the Caribbean group. Ledesma commended Hamilton and the leaders of the St. Croix Hotel and Tourism Association for incorporating membership in CHTA as an added benefit for Virgin Islands members.
“I do want to take the opportunity to thank and to commend Lisa Hamilton and the board of directors of both hotel associations for taking the bold step of including membership in the Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association. We are delighted,” Ledesma said. “So that means not only Lisa, as an association executive, has a voice overall in CHTA, but she has a seat on the table at our board of directors and our executive committee.”
Gov. Albert Bryan Jr. attended the meeting and urged tourism leaders to seek new opportunities amid economic uncertainty. He cited potential challenges stemming from policy changes in Washington, as well as the need for affordable housing for both residents and seasonal tourism workers.
Approximately 60 industry professionals attended the gathering. Hamilton emphasized the significance of the annual event, which includes board elections and industry updates.
“It’s our most attended event. I like to think it’s because it’s at The Ritz-Carlton and everybody likes to come here, but it’s the annual event where they get a chance to come and get industry insights,” Hamilton said.
She added that the presence of both Bryan and Tourism Commissioner Joseph Boschulte signals a strong working relationship between the industry and government. The governor echoed this sentiment, highlighting Boschulte and Assistant Tourism Commissioner Alani Henneman’s contributions over the past six years. He also dismissed recent speculation about Boschulte’s departure from the department.
Bryan outlined his administration’s efforts to enhance the local tourism sector. He cited an increase in St. Croix tourist arrivals from 60,000 to 250,000, a $1 million upgrade of the Frederiksted waterfront, improvements to Vendor’s Plaza on St. Thomas, additional public restrooms in downtown Charlotte Amalie, and the repaving of the Fort Christian parking lot.
“We got a beautiful new horse racetrack, drag racing is taking off in St. Croix. We’re about to do another horse track over there,” Bryan said. “We’ve had a great run, but what do we do to create sustainability and stability?”
He also expressed concern over rising tariffs that could impact the territory.
“So, there’s a lot of instability now … Personally, we’re concerned about the incredible tariffs that would be placed on the ships that come here and the ships that bring stuff from China,” Bryan said. “We’re understanding that we could have costs as high as $3,000 per 20-foot container equivalent; so in a 40-foot container, that’s $66,000. Those are scary for us in the Virgin Islands. It’s like we’re gonna have to eat genips, mangoes — everything that grows.”
“But looking through all of that, we really have to figure out where’s our opportunity. And there’s some great possibilities that are coming for us in the Virgin Islands,” he said.
Among those possibilities were new relationships with the Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association. Ledesma praised her St. Thomas hosts and their counterparts on St. Croix for strengthening ties between the three groups.
“It’s also very timely that I am here as we officially welcome the USVI Hotel and Tourism Association and the St. Croix Hotel and Tourism Association as a compliance designation of the Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association,” Ledesma said. “Now that all of the hotel accommodation providers are members of the organization, we want to make sure that you take advantage of these benefits.”
Now in its 62nd year, CHTA serves as the primary private-sector advocate for hospitality and tourism in the region, she said.
“CHTA’s strength lies in its network of national hotel and tourism associations across our 32 member destinations, serving as the backbone of the region’s private-sector tourism, advocating business development and industry collaboration,” Ledesma said.
All attendees were invited to the Caribbean Travel Marketplace, set for May 20-23 in Antigua.
“It’s a great opportunity for hotels to network with third-party buyers and intermediaries this year,” Ledesma said.
