New Tourism Milestone in the U.S. Virgin Islands for 2024
The U.S. Virgin Islands achieves record passenger arrivals, highlighting its growing appeal as a top Caribbean destination.
The U.S. Virgin Islands Department of Tourism announces an impressive new record for passenger arrivals, showcasing the region’s continuous growth as a favored tourism spot.
On December 28, 2024, the islands welcomed 4,606 passenger arrivals in a single day, setting a new record and surpassing the previous single-day arrival mark from March 2024. This achievement also triggered a new weekly passenger arrival record exceeding 24,000, marking a 5.92% increase from earlier records.
“As a destination, we continue to explore, elevate, and improve, which further supports the ongoing goal to build upon our commitment to be a premier Caribbean destination,” shares Commissioner Joseph Boschulte of the U.S. Virgin Islands Department of Tourism.
In 2024, a total of 932,265 airline arrivals were reported at Cyril E. King Airport in St. Thomas and Henry E. Rohlsen Airport in St. Croix, breaking the previous record from the COVID-19 pandemic by over 100,000 passengers, equating to a 16.5% increase over 2023.
The newly announced figures bring an exciting conclusion to a year of significant tourism growth for the U.S. Virgin Islands, including March’s record-breaking month with 106,026 arrivals and various routes introduced or resumed by airlines such as American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, and JetBlue.
Furthermore, the territory saw a remarkable surge in cruise visitors, welcoming 1,770,922, an increase of 9.8% compared to 2023. This growth was partly fueled by the inaugural voyages of numerous ships.
In addition to welcoming more visitors, the territory received several notable industry distinctions:
- Best Caribbean Cruise Destination 2024 (Porthole Cruise and Travel Magazine)
- Caribbean Culinary Destination: St. Croix
- Caribbean Yachting Destination of the Year
- Number 1 Best Beach in the World 2024: Trunk Bay, St. John
“As we look to 2025, we will continue to push the creativity of our marketing strategies. Our goal is to maintain the U.S. Virgin Islands at the forefront of travelers’ minds,” Commissioner Boschulte adds.
With their sights set on an ambitious future, the U.S. Virgin Islands team aims to enhance the destination’s allure, showcasing its natural beauty and rich culture.
