The V.I. government is promising that arriving at the St. Thomas airport is going to be less stressful and more welcoming. The new commissioner of Tourism, Beverly Nicholson Doty, told a travel industry publication one of her top initiatives will be to improve the "arrival experience at the airport and all ports of entry."
The gauntlet of porters, sometimes-working baggage belts, and taxi drivers was the major complaint of News of St. John readers reacting to comments by Berkeley Young of Randall Travel Marketing about how tourists are treated. (Part one, Part two).
Doty also told Travel Weekly she intends to redesign the territory’s USVItourism.vi Web site. She has also launched a new one, admittedly with not much to it, at usvi-ideas.com/. She’s encouraging people to comment and offer ideas how the islands’ tourism business can improve.
The arrival at STT airport isn’t the problem, it’s the departure. Once you clear customs you are trapped in that place. Last Saturday on our way home, the line for that crappy food was over an hour. The line to get a drink from the surly bartender was about a half an hour. And, the AC couldn’t keep up with all the sweaty bodies. That place is a terrible way to end a nice trip.
Pete, I agree! I just got back from vacation & leaving STT is awful~ WAY too hot & not enough cool air circulating. Yes, large fans at customs, but, you couldn’t feel them while in line. No cool air circulating while you wait for your flight for 2 hours either! The food is terrible & the sad part is they could be making a bundle on beers if it was quicker! I’ll live on chips for the travel day. It’s safer that way~