Tourism Targets Toronto To Boost Canadian Visitors

ST. THOMAS – Tourism Commissioner Beverly Nicholson-Doty hosted nearly 50 journalists and travel partners at a luncheon presentation in Toronto last week. Nicholson-Doty called the visit “productive” and said it was arranged to help boost arrivals from Canada.

“They were all eager to find out about the U.S. Virgin Islands,” Nicholson-Doty said, adding that the sailing and yachting media had a sharp interest in new marine industry rules, which hold the promise of yacht operators’ return to home porting in the territory.

News of Estate Whim’s new “Living Museum” in St. Croix, and the historical and cultural aspects of the destination were also a hit among her guests, she said. The tourism commissioner also met individually with reporters and travel trade and airline partners.

“Overall, I think the visit was fantastic,” Nicholson-Doty said. “We had the opportunity to see a lot of media, to get on the radio to speak with the diaspora in Canada, not just the Virgin Islands diaspora but the Caribbean diaspora. And so many of them are interested in visiting the U.S. Virgin Islands.”

During her presentation, Nicholson-Doty said she stressed how easy it is to travel to the territory from Canada with seamless one-stop connections over several cities, including Atlanta, Charlotte, Miami, New Jersey, New York, Philadelphia, and Washington DC.