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HomeNewsLocal newsVisitors Want 'More Authentic' Experiences, Boschulte Says

Visitors Want ‘More Authentic’ Experiences, Boschulte Says

Nayda Young’s booth at the Cultural and Food Fair at this year’s carnival on St. Thomas. These types of ‘authentic experiences’ are what visitors to the island are looking for, Boschulte said. (File photo)

Commissioner of Tourism designee Joseph Boschulte said local people and local experiences have become the biggest draw for travelers to the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Speaking to participants at the recent Caribbean Hotel & Resort Investment Summit in Miami, Florida, Boschulte said studies have shown that the focus for visitors has shifted over the past few years from shopping and beaches to culture and the people.

“What we’ve found is that we still get almost two million people a year, but the focus is now on the soul of the territory, which is our food, our music, our arts, and most importantly our people,” he said.

Responding to these shifts has been a priority for the territory in its quest to retain its leading status in the region.

“First and foremost, from a tourism leadership position, we have to understand the market, why people travel to the Caribbean. Once we understand that, then it’s our job to make sure our destination meets those needs of people who travel to our part of the region,” said Boschulte, who participated in a panel discussion on “The Cultural and Experiential Value Proposition for Hotels/Resorts.”

Research indicated that visitors were increasingly seeking experiences and connections with locals.

“They want to hang out in a bar where they see local people,” Boschulte said. “They want to go out to a restaurant where they see people that don’t look like them. They want to be able to say, ‘Hey, I ate what that person ate.'”

This search for authentic experiences, he reported, has been more pronounced in the cruise sector.

Young moko jumbies display the examples of culture with farm animal masks, madras costumes and VI flags. (Susan Ellis photo)
Young mocko jumbies display the examples of culture with farm animal masks, madras costumes and VI flags. (Susan Ellis photo)

“There’s clear data showing visitors traveling on cruise ships are moving away from shopping and jewelry. They’re still going to the beaches, and still very comfortable with attractions, but there have to be more attractions than just beaches.”

The new trend, he asserted, is changing the way the USVI needs to be promoted.

“It’s our job as marketers now to go out and tell people, ‘You can find that experience in the Territory, and you can come in and you can sit with people and be safe,'” he said.

Boschulte also reminded investors and financiers attending the Miami conference of the special advantages of the U.S. Virgin Islands for American tourists: “You don’t have to have a passport to come to the territory, you can use the U.S. dollar, and your cell phone works.”

Another trend the tourism department is responding to is the increase in multi-generational travelers, according to the news release from the Department of Tourism.

“Part of our challenge is to make sure we have activities for the grandparents, the parents, and the kids, because we all know that if you spend a week together in the same (villa) you’ve got to find other things for everybody to do. Not everybody wants to sit by the pool. So, I think part of our job as a destination is to make sure that we have the necessary accommodations for multigenerational, or 3G, travelers.”

Boschulte said the damage sustained by the bigger hotels and the resulting loss of hotel rooms turned into a bonanza for local residents willing to rent their properties through Airbnb or directly to visitors who quickly saw the advantages of the sharing economy.

“They branched out and figured they could stay in a house, everybody could have their own space in the house, and it would be cheaper, more economical, and they enjoy it,” he said.

USVI Commissioner of Tourism designee Joseph Boschulte talks at the Caribbean Hotel & Resort Investment Summit meeting in Miami last month. Panel participants included Brooke Meyer, left, the managing partner at Caymera International, and Juan Corvinos, vice president of development at Hilton.
USVI Commissioner of Tourism designee Joseph Boschulte talks at the Caribbean Hotel & Resort Investment Summit meeting in Miami last month. Panel participants included Brooke Meyer, left, the managing partner at Caymera International, and Juan Corvinos, vice president of development at Hilton.
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