Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1539265
to sculpt extraordinary gatherings that speak to both leisure and legacy. In St. Thomas, the historic waterfront of Charlotte Amalie holds court as a commercial hub and cultural archive. The island's Crown Bay Center welcomes cruise-goers by day, but transforms into a nighttime venue option with port-facing views and high guest flow. Hotels like the Westin Beach Resort and the Ritz-Carlton offer sleek accommodations, outdoor event spaces, and meeting rooms with coastal light as their co-host. For larger conventions, the University of the Virgin Islands' Sports and Fitness Center has become a favored site for regional summits and expos, boasting arena- style seating and production-ready infrastructure. St. Croix, the largest of the islands, is a treasure of Black American migration history. Frederiksted and Christiansted reveal colonial architecture layered with emancipation stories and thriving Black-owned art galleries. The Caribbean Museum Center for the Arts offers an oceanside space for receptions, while venues like The Fred Hotel provide both boutique luxury and a sense of rooted hospitality. Groups often charter catamarans or coordinate beachside storytelling sessions, creating a rhythm that merges education with expe- rience. Meanwhile, St. John speaks in whispers, smaller, quieter, but potent for intimate retreats. Its protected national park- land makes it ideal for nature-centric gatherings, with Trunk Bay and Cinnamon Bay offering guided eco-excursions or meditation sessions. Planners seeking transformational set- tings find the balance here: untouched splendor and modern access. Throughout the USVI, government agencies and tourism stakeholders are actively expanding their engagement with Black travel organizations, encouraging African-American group travel through grants, vendor partnerships, and com- munity-embedded experiences. Transportation between islands is frequent and scenic, with ferry systems connecting venues and hotels across all three. The U.S. Virgin Islands stand not only as a meeting loca- tion, but as a return, welcoming the Diaspora to convene, reflect, and celebrate in a land that holds lineage and promise in equal measure. U.S. VIRGIN ISLANDS DEPARTMENT OF TOURISM 8000 Nisky Center, Suite 201, St. Thomas, VI 00802 Tel: (340) 774-8784 Email: info@usviupdate.com Website: www.visitusvi.com BARBADOS: WHERE THE OCEAN SPEAKS BAJAN To arrive in Barbados is to be greeted by water that knows your name. The sea here does not just sparkle. It speaks, in accents shaped by history, hospitality, and home. This is a nation where elegance has a lineage and planning feels less like a logistical effort and more like a poetic act. Barbados is not just welcoming. It is ceremonious. Every detail, from floral arrangements to linen textures and menu selections, feels composed with reverence, not only for guests, but for the culture that hosts them. The island's capital, B M & T ••• September/October 2025 ••• www.blackmeetingsandtourism.com 29 USVI Conference