Jennifer Matarangas-King Joins CTO Board: USVI Tourism Surges in St Croix and St Thomas
Tamika King
USVI - The U.S. Virgin Islands is having a defining tourism moment, and Commissioner Jennifer Matarangas-King now has a larger regional platform to help shape what comes next.
Her recent appointment to the Caribbean Tourism Organization Executive Board places the U.S. Virgin Islands Department of Tourism at a key table for regional strategy, collaboration, and advocacy. The timing is notable. The territory is not just recovering from past travel disruptions. It is gaining ground faster than many of its Caribbean neighbors in both stay-over and cruise travel.
At the Caribbean Tourism Organization annual meeting in Georgetown, Guyana, Matarangas-King took on the role of representing the U.S. Territories. That role matters because territories such as the U.S. Virgin Islands face a distinct mix of opportunities and constraints. They compete in the wider Caribbean market, while also navigating U.S. travel patterns, federal relationships, air service needs, cruise partnerships, and infrastructure demands.
The appointment also arrives as the USVI posts standout numbers. The destination ranked as the second fastest growing stay-over tourism destination in the Caribbean, with a 16.4% increase. It also ranked as the second fastest growing cruise destination, with a 40.2% increase, following Puerto Rico.
A stronger voice for the U.S. Territories at the CTO table
The Caribbean Tourism Organization brings together destinations across the region to address shared issues, from air connectivity and cruise growth to sustainability, data, marketing, workforce needs, and crisis readiness. An Executive Board seat gives a destination leader a more visible role in those conversations.
For Matarangas-King, representing the U.S. Territories during the annual meeting in Georgetown, Guyana, means carrying forward a perspective that is both Caribbean and American. The U.S. Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, and other U.S.-linked Caribbean destinations often sit at the intersection of regional travel demand and U.S. policy realities.
That creates several priorities that may differ from those of fully independent Caribbean nations:
Air service access
The USVI relies heavily on direct and connecting service from the U.S. mainland. Route development, seasonal lift, and airline confidence shape visitor volume.
Cruise port performance
Cruise calls bring large numbers of day visitors, but ports must manage arrivals, transportation, excursions, local vendor access, and guest experience.
Federal and regional coordination
U.S. territories often work within federal systems while still needing regional cooperation on tourism planning.
Disaster readiness
Hurricanes and other disruptions require preparation, recovery planning, and clear communication with travelers and trade partners.
Sustainable growth
More arrivals bring more revenue, but they also place pressure on beaches, roads, historic districts, ports, and cultural sites.
Matarangas-King’s appointment gives the USVI a chance to turn recent gains into a broader leadership role. It also gives the CTO a representative who can speak to the specific needs of U.S. Territories while supporting shared Caribbean goals.
The Georgetown meeting placed this work in a regional setting. Caribbean destinations do compete for visitors, but they also depend on each other. Travelers often compare islands, cruise lines build multi-port itineraries, airlines assess regional demand, and global events affect the whole region. A stronger USVI voice on the CTO Executive Board can help keep U.S. Territory priorities in view when regional plans take shape.
The USVI’s growth numbers show real market strength
Tourism performance is often discussed in broad terms, but the USVI’s recent rankings give the story sharper edges.
Tourism category | USVI performance | Regional ranking |
Stay-over tourism | 16.4% increase | 2nd fastest growing in the Caribbean |
Cruise tourism | 40.2% increase | 2nd fastest growing in the Caribbean, following Puerto Rico |
Stay-over growth carries special weight because overnight visitors usually spend across more parts of the local economy. Hotels, villas, restaurants, taxis, rental car companies, guides, shops, charter operators, and cultural attractions all benefit when guests stay for several days.
A 16.4% increase signals more than a short burst of demand. It points to a destination that is gaining traction in a competitive market where travelers can choose from dozens of Caribbean islands.
Cruise growth tells a different but related story. The USVI’s 40.2% increase as the second fastest growing cruise destination, behind Puerto Rico, reflects the territory’s continued importance in Eastern Caribbean itineraries. St. Thomas has long been one of the region’s best-known cruise ports, while St. Croix continues to hold appeal for visitors seeking history, beaches, food, diving, and a slower pace.
The combination of strong stay-over growth and cruise growth gives the USVI a rare advantage. It can build value from both multi-day visitors and high-volume port calls.
This balance matters. A destination that depends too heavily on one travel segment can feel sudden shocks when airline service changes, cruise schedules shift, or storms interrupt travel. The USVI’s performance across both categories suggests a broader base of demand.
It also raises the stakes. Growth needs careful handling. Ports need to move guests efficiently. Beaches and historic areas need protection. Small businesses need access to visitor traffic. Residents need to see tourism gains translate into opportunity, not just crowding.
That is where leadership and regional coordination become important. Growth is good, but managed growth is what keeps a destination competitive over time.
St. Croix is building a fuller visitor story
St. Croix has become an increasingly important part of the USVI tourism message. While St. Thomas often draws attention for cruise arrivals and air access, St. Croix gives the territory a different kind of appeal. It offers historic towns, open landscapes, culinary traditions, dive sites, rum heritage, arts, festivals, and a strong sense of local identity.
Recent tourism work around St. Croix has focused on giving visitors more reasons to stay longer and explore beyond a single beach day.
One major advantage is the island’s range. Christiansted and Frederiksted each offer a different sense of place. Christiansted brings Danish colonial architecture, waterfront dining, galleries, and access to Buck Island excursions. Frederiksted offers a west-end cruise pier, sunset views, beaches, and a growing visitor corridor tied to walking, dining, and local shopping.
The island also has assets that align with current travel demand:
Culinary travel
St. Croix has long stood out for food, from local seafood and Crucian dishes to farm-driven dining and community food events.
Culture and festivals
Events such as Carnival and holiday season celebrations give travelers a reason to plan visits around the local calendar.
Diving and marine experiences
St. Croix is known for wall dives, reefs, wrecks, and Buck Island Reef National Monument.
Heritage tourism
Historic forts, estates, churches, town centers, and museums help visitors understand the island beyond the shoreline.
Small business discovery
Shops, guides, restaurants, artists, and tour operators can benefit when tourism planning moves guests into local districts.
The opportunity for St. Croix is not simply to bring in more people. It is to attract visitors who want time, context, and connection. That supports stay-over growth because it gives travelers more reasons to book several nights, rent a car, visit both towns, take tours, dine locally, and return.
Cruise tourism also plays a role. Frederiksted’s pier brings day visitors directly into a walkable waterfront area. When that experience works well, cruise passengers can become future overnight guests. A traveler who first sees St. Croix on a port call may later return for a week if the island leaves a strong impression.
That makes the visitor experience at arrival points especially important. Clear wayfinding, reliable transportation, trained guides, clean public areas, local vendors, and well-timed excursions can turn a few hours in port into long-term interest.
St. Thomas remains a cruise anchor and air gateway
St. Thomas continues to play a central role in the USVI tourism economy. For many travelers, it is the first image that comes to mind when they think of the territory: Charlotte Amalie harbor, hillside views, beaches, shopping, boats, and busy cruise days.
Its importance comes from two strengths working together. St. Thomas is both a major cruise destination and a key air gateway. Cyril E. King Airport connects the territory with major U.S. markets, while the harbor and cruise facilities support high-volume day traffic.
Recent tourism attention in St. Thomas has centered on improving the way visitors move through the island and experience its best-known areas. That includes the cruise arrival experience, taxi and excursion flow, shopping districts, beach access, historic sites, dining, and inter-island connections to St. John and beyond.
The island’s tourism offer remains broad:
Beaches such as Magens Bay offer high-recognition appeal.
Charlotte Amalie gives cruise guests a close link to shopping, food, and history.
Harbor tours, sailing trips, snorkeling, and day charters connect visitors to the water.
Ferries and excursions create multi-island options.
Carnival and cultural events help bring repeat travel beyond peak beach demand.
The challenge for St. Thomas is managing success. Cruise growth can bring crowded port days, traffic pressure, and strain on popular beaches. Air arrivals can fill hotels, villas, and vacation rentals, but they also increase demand for restaurants, rental cars, and public services.
Smart tourism planning has to spread benefits while protecting the guest experience. That can mean encouraging visitors to explore locally owned restaurants, heritage sites, neighborhood attractions, and lesser-known excursions. It can also mean better information before arrival, so guests understand transportation options, beach capacity, and ways to support local businesses.
For the USVI, St. Thomas is not just a volume driver. It is a visibility driver. A positive St. Thomas arrival can influence how travelers view the entire territory. A smooth port day, a helpful driver, a memorable meal, or a beautiful harbor view can shape future bookings to St. Thomas, St. Croix, and St. John.
Why the CTO board appointment matters now
Matarangas-King’s Executive Board role comes at a time when tourism leaders across the Caribbean are asking tougher questions about growth. The issue is no longer just how to attract visitors. The harder question is how to attract the right mix of visitors, improve local benefit, protect natural resources, and stay competitive.
For the USVI, the answers will likely involve several connected priorities.
Better regional data
Visitor numbers are useful, but destinations also need to understand spending patterns, length of stay, repeat visitation, cruise-to-stay-over conversion, and resident impact. CTO collaboration can help destinations compare trends and learn from one another.
Stronger air and cruise relationships
Airlines and cruise lines make decisions based on demand, infrastructure, cost, and confidence. A board-level regional role can help the USVI stay active in conversations that influence future service and itineraries.
More balanced destination development
St. Thomas, St. Croix, and St. John each carry a different part of the tourism identity. Tourism policy works best when it respects those differences rather than treating the territory as a single, uniform product.
Community-centered growth
Local businesses, culture bearers, guides, taxi operators, artists, farmers, fishers, and event organizers all shape the visitor experience. Tourism growth is strongest when these groups have a visible place in destination planning.
Resilience
The Caribbean knows disruption well. Storms, changing travel demand, global economic pressure, and infrastructure needs can shift conditions quickly. Regional cooperation helps destinations prepare, respond, and recover.
A tourism surge with regional meaning
The USVI’s momentum now carries weight beyond the territory itself. A 16.4% increase in stay-over tourism and a 40.2% rise in cruise tourism place the destination among the Caribbean’s clearest growth stories. With Jennifer Matarangas-King joining the CTO Executive Board and representing the U.S. Territories, that growth story also gains a stronger regional voice.
St. Croix and St. Thomas show why the territory’s tourism future cannot be reduced to one number. St. Croix offers depth, culture, food, history, and marine experiences that reward longer stays. St. Thomas brings cruise strength, air access, harbor energy, and some of the region’s most recognizable visitor experiences.
Together, they point to a broader opportunity: turn strong demand into lasting value for the islands, local businesses, visitors, and the wider Caribbean tourism community.
The appointment is more than a leadership update. It is a signal that the U.S. Virgin Islands intends to help shape regional tourism conversations at the same time its own market performance is rising. If the territory continues to pair growth with thoughtful planning, this could be one of the most important chapters in modern USVI tourism.
