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B M & T ••• January/February 2020 ••• www.blackmeetingsandtourism.com 35 ST. THOMAS NAMED BEST CARIBBEAN CRUISE DESTINATION St. Thomas has been named the number one cruise destina- tion in the Caribbean. The "Best Caribbean Cruise Destination" honor was bestowed upon the island by Porthole Cruise Magazine's readers in its 21st Annual Readers' Choice Awards, the results of which were published in the November/December 2019 issue. Award winners were determined by thousands of readers and online fans of the magazine, who voted for their favorites in 51 cruise-related categories. "We are e n c o u r a g e d by this acco- lade, which tells us that even as we work on im- proving our visitor experience, we have an excellent foundation upon which to build," said Joseph Boschulte, Commissioner of Tourism. At the recent Florida-Caribbean Cruise Association's Cruise Conference and Trade Show in Puerto Rico, Governor of the United States Virgin Islands (USVI) Albert Bryan Jr. shared essential develop- ments within the sector. These include dredging projects, the addition of a new port in the Charlotte Amalie harbor, improvements on Main Street and upland plans for Crown Bay. "I always look forward to seeing the results of our Readers' Choice Awards because our readers are discerning travelers who have stunningly high standards for every part of the cruise experience," said Bill Panoff, publisher and editor-in-chief of Porthole Cruise Magazine. "For St. Thomas to be voted the Best Caribbean Cruise Destination in the 2019 Readers' Choice Awards truly illustrates St. Thomas' stature as the gateway to the Caribbean and the absolutely stunning way that all the island has to offer - the landscape, the music, the food, the hospitality really exceeds our readers' expectations," he added. Commissioner Boschulte said the cruise industry is a critical pillar of the tourism sector and he was motivated by Governor Bryan's declara- tion to position the USVI as the number one tourism destination in the Caribbean by employing robust public-private partnerships. Porthole Cruise Magazine is a leading cruise-travel magazine, avail- able on newsstands and online. About the U.S. Virgin Islands For more information about the United States Virgin Islands, go to VisitUSVI.com. When traveling to the U.S. Virgin Islands, U.S. citizens enjoy all the conveniences of domestic travel - including on-line check-in - making travel to the U.S. Virgin Islands easier than ever. As a United States Territory, travel to the U.S. Virgin Islands does not require a pass- port from U.S. citizens arriving from Puerto Rico or the U.S. mainland. Entry requirements for non-U.S. citizens are the same as for entering the United States from any foreign destination. Upon departure, a passport is required for all but U.S. citizens.