V.I. Dept. of Tourism Commissioner Joseph Boschulte. Photo Credit: THE CARIB JOURNAL
V.I. Dept. of Tourism Commissioner Joseph Boschulte was honored Wednesday with Carib Journal's top award for tourism executives in the Caribbean leading their destinations to greater heights.
Mr. Boschulte received the Journal's Caribbean Tourism Executive of the Year award, with the tourism-focused publication lauding the commissioner for his stellar performance in leading the U.S. Virgin Islands tourism product during the Covid-19 pandemic.
"No Caribbean destination has seen more growth in the last three years than the U.S. Virgin Islands, which kicked off a full-fledged tourism renaissance just after the onset of the pandemic and hasn’t looked back," the Journal wrote. "And so much of that growth can be directly tied to the expert stewardship of Boschulte, who helped craft an innovative, flexible response to the challenges of the pandemic and has continued to drive the USVI’s performance with a data-driven, creative approach to modern tourism."
The U.S. Virgin Islands was among the top Caribbean destinations during the Covid-19 pandemic and continues to be among the most visited by tourists.
"I am extremely proud to be recognized for our territory's exceptional performance. I am grateful and thankful to Governor Bryan and Lieutenant Governor Roach and our strong, committed tourism team," Mr. Boschulte told the Consortium Wednesday.
Regarding the next steps in the territory's continuous drive for growth, the commissioner said, "Innovative and inspirational marketing along with consistent collaboration with our partners nationally and locally, and consistent feedback from our community" are all pillars to continue building upon.
He said resources will be needed "to reach all our identified target markets nationally and regionally."
Looking to the immediate future, Mr. Boschulte said the effort will focus on spurring growth in areas of strength for each destination. "Investment in and building St. Croix as a destination in demand, growing overnight tourism on land and water, a focus on niche areas such as the dive market, bridal space and being the being the number one destination for African American travelers in the Caribbean," he said.
Mr. Boschulte, the former president and CEO of the West Indian Company, has been serving as D.O.T. commissioner since 2019 after being appointed by Governor Albert Bryan.
