USVI tourism climbs

Tourism in the United States Virgin Islands kept rising through 2025, with stronger hotel demand, higher room rates and record visitor totals carrying into early 2026. (visitusvi.com) At midyear 2025, the U.S. Virgin Islands Department of Tourism said hotel occupancy was up 4.3 percent from a year earlier, hotel tax collections were 6.7 percent ahead of April 2024 year to date, and short-term rental tax collections were running nearly 11 percent higher. (visitusvi.com) The territory also said it ranked third in the Caribbean for average daily rate and revenue per available room, with both measures more than 30 percent above the regional average. New nonstop service from Dallas to St. Thomas had started by June 2025, with added Chicago and Boston flights scheduled later in the year, including new Chicago service for St. Croix. (visitusvi.com) Those gains followed a record 2024. The U.S. Virgin Islands Bureau of Economic Research said total visitor arrivals rose 8.9 percent to 2.6 million in 2024, up from 2.4 million in 2023 and above the 2.1 million recorded in 2019 before the pandemic. (usviber.org) Air traffic and cruise traffic both expanded in 2024. The Bureau of Economic Research reported 907,366 air arrivals and 1,700,161 cruise passenger arrivals, with cruise ship calls increasing to 533 from 495 in 2023. (usviber.org) The most recent numbers show the pace did not fade at the start of 2026. The Department of Tourism reported 303,388 visitor arrivals in the first quarter, up 12 percent from the same period in 2025, with St. Thomas accounting for 246,772 of those arrivals and St. Croix for 56,616. (viconsortium.com) Hotel data show a more mixed picture beneath the headline growth. The Bureau of Economic Research’s December 2025 report put territory-wide occupancy at 63.6 percent for the month, up from 62.7 percent a year earlier, but the full-year occupancy rate slipped to 58.7 percent from 60.3 percent in 2024 as room supply increased. (usviber.org) Officials have also warned that tourism demand is tied to forces outside the islands. At the March 21, 2025 Revenue Estimating Conference, Assistant Tourism Commissioner Alani Henneman said federal travel policy, tariffs and weaker financial markets could affect 2026 demand even after a strong 2025 season. (stthomassource.com) For now, the direction is still up across St. Croix, St. John and St. Thomas: more visitors, fuller rooms in key periods and pricing power that has kept the territory near the top of the Caribbean lodging market. (visitusvi.com)