What could make a visit to St. John more pleasant? Greeters in uniform at the St. Thomas airport and courteous taxi drivers who say a few words and don’t cram 11 people in their vans would go a long way to improving tourism, according to two experts.
Judy Randall and Berkeley Young, US-based travel consultants, recently spent some leisure time on island and have been telling local business groups their impressions, according to the Virgin Islands Daily News. "You are so rich in potential here with what you have in natural beauty and heritage and craft," Randall told the newspaper in an interview. "Just listen to what the customers are saying."
Her recommendations:
- More greeters on hand at the airport to answer questions.
- Taxis should be clear about where they are going.
- A few words of greeting would make taxi rides more pleasant and increase drivers’ tips.
- Street corner barkers in St. Thomas should wear uniforms and guide visitors to all shops on a street, not just the ones paying them.
Improvements like these, she said, would make visitors happier and likely to spend more money.