Workforce Development, Tourism and Infrastructure Growth Key Topics at USVIHTA Annual General Meeting

Workforce development as well as tourism and infrastructure growth were key topics at the USVIHTA Annual General Meeting on April 11. Gov. Albert Bryan, Jr. joined as guest speaker, discussing the state of the tourism industry as well as future plans. During the meeting, members voted for the 2023 Board of Directors with an uncontested slate, welcoming four accommodations members and three allied members to new terms on the board. Members also had an opportunity to give business updates. USVIHTA wishes to thank meeting sponsors Viya and The Ritz-Carlton, St. Thomas for hosting the meeting and providing breakfast for attendees. We also thank Viya for sharing photos from the event. Full press release below. Click here to read the GVI press release.

Maximize Your Exposure on Google and visitUSVI.com - Training Workshop April 19

The USVI Department of Tourism and Hotel & Tourism Associations invite you to attend a virtual workshop to improve your online presence on Google and visitUSVI.com. Your Google Business Profile is the source of your visitUSVI.com listing, making your Google profile more important than ever. Join us April 19 at 10 a.m. to learn more about how to get the most of your Google Business Profile and ensure it is listed on visitUSVI.com. STT/STJ Registration: https://milespartnership.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_RkUQ1vA6TQCgjOTHupEC1w

USVIHTA Launches 2023 Summer Employment Program - Participate Today

The USVI Hotel & Tourism Association’s Education & Training Committee is in its twentieth year of the Summer Employment Program in collaboration with the USVI Department of Labor (DOL) and participating senators of the 35th Legislature of the Virgin Islands. The objective of the six-week program is to provide a meaningful learning experience for Virgin Islands high school and college students while stimulating interest in careers in the hospitality and tourism industry. We are seeking your assistance in providing placement for students participating in this year’s program. Please indicate on the attached form your commitment to accepting students and in which department. A program timeline is also attached for your review. Please complete this form in its entirety and return to lisa@usvihta.com by April 28.

Blue Flag would like to recognize its three current certified sites (The Ritz-Carlton, St. Thomas, Emerald Beach Resort and Tamarind Reef Resort) for their continued commitment to the environmentally sustainable management of beaches. We would like to encourage hotels and marinas to join the certification and demonstrate the USVI's commitment to environmental sustainability. We invite you to become familiar with Blue Flag but also other great initiatives of the Virgin Islands Conservation Society such as VI Clean Coasts, which helps businesses improve their environmental footprint through free consultations and mini grants.

We would like to ask HTA members to help celebrate earth day on April 22 and play an active role. Suggestions include:

• Organize an activity - can be very simple
• Social media messaging
• Eliminate styrofoam from your business
• Giveaways (reusable bags, reusable straws, reusable water bottles, etc.)
• Discount on Coral Safe Sunscreen
• Serve Reef Responsible seafood in restaurants 
• other

Does your business have great best practices in place for environmental sustainability? Share with us by replying to this email for a future update to membership!

For more information about environmental initiatives, how to participate or joining the Environmental Committee, email Valerie Peters at blueflagusvi@gmail.com.

CHTA Celebrates Caribbean Resilience as ForwardKeys Data Reveals Strong Start to the New Year

The Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association (CHTA) is applauding Caribbean tourism stakeholders for their exceptional efforts in leading the global travel rebound this year, noting in particular the strides made by the U.S. Virgin Islands and Curaçao. New research from ForwardKeys, a strategic data partner of CHTA, reveals that international arrivals to the Caribbean for the first two months in 2023 are behind by only one percent when compared to the same period in 2019.