Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1194291
The U.S. Virgin Islands De- partment of Tourism is on a dual mission of getting on the radar of Canadian trav- elers while also attracting more film productions to the Territory. While attending the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) recently with a team from his depart- ment as well as the Virgin Islands Economic Develo- pment Authority, Commiss- ioner of Tourism Joseph Boschulte addressed more than 40 journalists to pro- vide an update on the U.S. Virgin Islands' tourism product, signaling the Territory's return to the Canadian market. "Our new tourism vision includes elevat- ing our presence in markets which hold tremendous potential, and we believe Canada - from Toronto to Montreal and Vancouver - is critically important," said Commissioner Boschulte. Heartened by the strong interest in the USVI for both stayover and cruise visits, the tourism chief said part and parcel of the department's strategy is to work with its neighbors in the British Virgin Islands to secure nonstop flights from Toronto. "Before long, we will be featuring some of the newest and most modern accommodations in the Caribbean and we need to ensure that our aerial highways from international gateways are as strong as our domestic airlift," he commented. Luana Wheatley, the department's film director, said coupled with some attractive incentives, the U.S. Virgin Islands provides diverse experiences for productions - whether feature films, television programming, documentaries or music videos - highlighting the work ethic of local talent, whose experience rivals industry experts in big cities like New York and Los Angeles. "Think exotic yet American with vistas that mirror Greek hillsides, rural South Africa, pastoral Vietnam, picturesque Portugal, coastal Mexico and so much more. In addition to the main islands of St. Croix, St. John, St. Thomas and Water Island, our unin- habited out islands offer yet another set of unique 'blank-slate' locations," said Wheatley, who underscored that strong infrastruc- ture and support services combine to contribute to the success of any production. As part of its film development strategy, the Department of Tourism and the Economic Development Authority partnered with CaribbeanTales to co-present "The Big Pitch" TIFF Breakfast and REDHOT Mixer events. At the breakfast, CaribbeanTales incubator participants pitched their projects to a room full of industry insiders as the talent B M & T ••• September/October 2019 ••• www.blackmeetingsandtourism.com 34 CARIBBEAN CORNER U.S. VIRGIN ISLANDS LAUNCHES MARKETING EFFORTS IN CANADA USVI Delegation Attends the Toronto International Film Festival, One of the Largest Publicly Attended Film Festivals in the World Commissioner Boschulte live on CP24, Toronto's television channel, with news anchor Jamie Gutfreund. Commissioner of Tourism Joseph Boschulte addresses journalists