TOURISM CONCEPTS AND ISSUES

Tourism Concepts and Issues - U.S. Virgin Islands

Tourism Concepts and Issues - U.S. Virgin Islands

Introduction

This report presents an analysis of tourism concepts and issues for the US Virgin Islands. US Virgin Island is an attractive tourism destination for many people across the world. It presents a beautiful and eye catching view to its tourist with natural beauty embedded in the natural architecture of the island. This report presents the concepts of tourism related to this destination from diversifying dimensions pertaining to the report objective.

Destination Overview

The US Virgin Islands are located in the Caribbean, east of Puerto Rico between the North Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea (CoRIS, 2012). The islands cover a total area of 1,910 sq km and are located along the Anegada Passage, a key shipping lane leading to the Panama Canal. According to 2011 estimates, the US Virgin Islands has a total population of 109,666. Some 65% of the population is aged between 15 and 64, while 95% live in urban areas (CoRIS, 2012). According to the constitution, the US Virgin Islands, along with other unincorporated US territories, have no voting rights in the election for the US president and vice president, although they do elect a non-voting representative for the US House of Representatives.

The number of tourists visiting the US Virgin Islands has increased over the last two years, along with incoming tourist receipts (USVI, 2012). Arrivals in 2011 continued to rise despite the global economic downturn, mainly because the Department of Tourism continued to market the destination via a presence at trade shows and organize media events in main inbound source countries such as the US, which accounts for more than 90% of the territory's tourist arrivals (UN Data, 2011). In addition, the Department of Tourism, together with private sector tourism-related businesses, is offering affordable packages and promotions to potential travellers, mostly from the US, taking into account its relative closeness and also the fact that American visitors can fly to the US Virgin Islands as a domestic destination with no need for a passport or visa (USVI, 2012).

Current Stage of Tourism Development

The Department of Tourism is in charge of promoting the destination to other countries. By attending different trade shows and offering different promotions, its main aim is to increase the number of arrivals from the main inbound source countries, such as the US, Canada and the UK (Greenberg, 2006). The Department of Tourism is in charge of promoting the islands to the rest of the world. By attending different trade shows and offering different promotions, the main aim of the organisation is to create tourism awareness and increase arrivals from main inbound source countries such as the US, Canada and Europe. Key elements in the Department of Tourism's plan for the future include blitz marketing events, a focus on the wedding market and an emphasis on social media through tools such as Facebook, Twitter and smartphone apps, among others (USVI, 2012).

The Department of Tourism is continuously seeking to work with ...