Business View Caribbean - Sept. / Oct. 2014

76 %XVLQHVV 9LHZ ‡ &DULEEHDQ ² 6HSWHPEHU ‡ 2FWREHU 86 9LUJLQ ,VODQGV BUSINESS VIEW: The layman might have an impression of the Virgin Islands that it’s so gorgeous and you can see it online and think, “Wow, it just sells itself.” Explain why that’s maybe not the case and what sort of work do you have to do. BEVERLY NICHOLSON-DOTY: We certainly have a number of god-given attributes in the destination, so we’re very pleased about the fact that we’re a beautiful destination. We have very different experiences between each of the islands. I wish it were that easy that we could just have the open sign and everyone would show up. We get about 1.8 million cruise visitors per year and another 700,000 to 800,000 stay-over visitors. While we do have a certain number that are repeat visitors that come back year after year, competition for the tourism dollar has certainly grown over the last decade. And so we do have to really look at how we channel and look at our distribution points to bring visitors to the territory. There’s a combination of things that we do. Advertising, public relations, definitely. Social media, digital platforms that we’re now using. But it does take quite a bit of strategy to ensure that your destination is top of mind when you’re looking at all of the competition that’s now available. BV: You’re not the only game in town. If people want to take vacations or go to exotic locations, Talking Business: Beverly Nicholson-Dot 30 minutes with the commissioner of the United States Virgin Islands Department of Tourism 86 9LUJLQ ,VODQGV 6HSWHPEHU ‡ 2FWREHU ² &DULEEHDQ ‡ %XVLQHVV 9LHZ you’re not the only place they have to decide on. How do you make sure that a given number that ensures your survival are going to come where you are? What specifically do you do to try to lure them? NICHOLSON-DOTY: There are certain things that people come to the Virgin Islands for that are expected and there are lots of places that are in the same competitive set. If you’re looking for spectacular beaches, of course I think mine are the best, but the truth is that there are a number of beautiful beach destinations. We certainly have incredible vistas and I’m positive that other people will make the same claim. I think the differentiation factor within any destination is the experience, the culture, the people that is unique. I think what we have in the Virgin Islands is we have had seven flags that have flown over the United States Virgin Islands, which means that we have quite a diversity of ethnicities of cultural background. Influences that have included the customs, the heritage and the experience that one would get here. I think that’s what makes one want to come back to a destination again and again. It’s the flavor of the place and people that add to the god-given attributes of the destination. BV: Who are the typical people coming there? Can you narrow it down, or is the variety of people visiting as different as the variety of people you find once you’re there? NICHOLSON-DOTY: First of all, 93 percent of our visitors are from the United States. This probably has a lot to do with the fact that we are a U.S. territory in the Caribbean and you don’t need a passport to come to the United States Virgin Islands. The only other place in the Caribbean that can claim that is Puerto Rico, and Puerto Rico is a different product than the United States Virgin Islands. America has two destinations that have quite different flavors in the Caribbean. So I think that that’s No. 1 and that’s our No. 1. In terms of international markets, the No. 2 market for us is Denmark, and before 1917 we were a Danish colony. In fact, we’re getting ready for our 100th anniversary celebration of being transferred from the kingdom of Denmark to the United States in 2017. So I think those are our two largest markets. And then you have sprinklings. We get a fair amount from Italy and then from across the Caribbean, but generally most of our visitors come from the United States. BV: Is there are particular part of the U.S. they come from – perhaps the frigid northeast in the winter, or is it all across the country? NICHOLSON-DOTY: It depends on the time of the year. The northeast certainly is a strong market for us. But also in our top 10 are California, Texas and Florida. So some that you would expect certainly – New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Massachusetts and the Mid-Atlantic states are all significant markets for us. But then when you look at some you may not traditionally think of like Texas and California and Florida, those are warm-weather states that are all in our top 10 places within the U.S. that deliver visitors for us. In fact, I think Texas provided over 30,000 to the territory last year alone. BV: Is California a little surprising? That’s a pretty significant trip. NICHOLSON-DOTY: That’s correct. But I think that a lot of people on the west coast have tried Hawaii and they’re looking for something different. We find that Americans, especially when they’re taking their first vacation, what we’ve found is that California is a really good market for us. I think that what happens y