Record-Breaking Tourism Gains Shadowed by $6 Million in Unpaid Vendor Bills

The V.I. Department of Tourism hopes its proposed FY2025 budget of $34,441,073 will help it continue successfully promoting the U.S. Virgin Islands as a premier tourism destination. Just $7,037 shy of its revised FY2024 budget, this year’s requested sum is expected to cover a host of line items including salaries and fringe benefits, office expenses, collateral, public relations, social media and marketing, and sponsorship of events by the Division of Festivals. “We intend to execute our mandate to market the territory within our approved FY2025 budget,” stated Tourism Commissioner Joseph Boschulte before the Committee on Budget, Appropriations, and Finance on Tuesday. Despite the department's successes, a concern looms over the Department of Tourism: outstanding vendor payments. Replying to a query from Senator Novelle Francis Jr., Mr. Boschulte admitted that the department owes approximately $1.7 million to primarily local vendors on top of some $4 million owed to marketing and pu...