FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
June 6, 2001
UNITED STATES VIRGIN ISLANDS UPDATEReaders of Successful Meetings Magazine Honor USVI With 2001 Pinnacle Award
 In a recent ballot poll, readers of Successful Meetings magazine - corporate and association executives with meeting planning responsibilities
- honored the United States Virgin Islands with a 2001 Pinnacle Award. The prestigious award is given to destinations that do an outstanding job servicing meetings, incentive travel programs
and conventions. The United States Virgin Islands was selected based on four criteria which include: overall service/support to meetings, incentive travel programs and conventions; promotional support; supplier
information; and registration and housing assistance. More than 75,000 readers voted in the 17th annual awards program. The USVI will be listed in the 2001 Successful Meetings' Pinnacle Awards Directory in August.
US Airways Vacations Announces Spectacular Savings
From now until June 30, US Airways Vacations offers $100 off all reservations booked
online for flights to St. Croix and St. Thomas in the United States Virgin Islands. This value-added offer is valid for travel to the USVI from Aug. 15 - Oct. 31, 2001.
St. Croix Native and Philadelphia 76ers' Star Raja Bell Advances to NBA Championship
As millions of basketball fans tune in to enjoy the 2001 NBA Championship game
between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Philadelphia 76ers, St. Croix residents will once again be cheering for a Virgin Islander as one of their own hits the court during this
national competition. Raja Bell, rising Philadelphia 76ers' star and St. Croix native, has recently caught the attention of basketball fans around the world with his fast-breaks,
steals and driving lay-ups during the NBA Eastern Conference Finals. Bell, one of three Virgin Islanders currently in the NBA, is the second St. Croix native to compete in the
NBA Finals, following San Antonio Spurs' star and USVI spokesperson, Tim Duncan. "We are proud that these talented athletes - Raja and Tim -- grew up here in our
islands," said Commissioner of Tourism Pamela Richards. "The people of the USVI are excited to cheer on another native Virgin Islander in the NBA finals. We even have
produced bumper stickers in support of Raja Bell. People might be surprised about the large number of 76ers and Spurs fans in the USVI." Game one of the seven-game series will begin tonight on NBC-TV.
August is Travel Agent Month in USVI
The St. Croix and the St. Thomas & St. John Hotel and Tourism associations announce that the annual Travel Agent Month is set for August of this year. Throughout the
value-added month, full-time travel agents from ARC/AA- or IATA/AA- approved locations have the opportunity to enjoy three complimentary nights at participating
resorts, reduced nightly rates for extended stays and a variety of incredible discounts at a host of participating attractions, activities and stores. Resorts providing this valuable
opportunity on St. Croix include: Divi Carina Bay Resort; Frederiksted Hotel; Hibuscus Beach Hotel; Hotel Caravelle; Hotel on the Cay; Innparadise; Inn At Pelican Heights;
King Christian Hotel; and Sugar Beach Condominium. Participating resorts on St. Thomas include:
Bolongo Bay Beach Club & Villas; Holiday Inn, St. Thomas; Island
Beachcomber Hotel; Pavilions & Polls Hotel; Point Pleasant Resort; Marriott Frenchman's Reef Hotel; Renaissance Grand Beach Resort; Sapphire Beach Resort &
Marina; Secret Harbour Beach Resort; and Wyndham Sugar Bay Beach Resort. Participating properties on St. John are Gallows Point Resort and the Westin Resort, St.
John. Travel agents will also enjoy agent discounts and promotional giveaways from AT&T, Budget Rent-A-Car, Olympic Rent-A-Car, Coral World Marine Park, Craig &
Sally's Restaurant, Diamonds International, Mango Tango Art Gallery, Paradise Point Tramway, St. Croix Safari Tours, Tropic Tours, V.I. Eco Tours and Islander Taxi.
American Airlines, Continental Airlines and United Airlines are offering a 75 percent discount on airfare associated with this incredible promotion. For additional information
about the month of savings, call the St. Croix Hotel and Tourism Association at (800) 524-2026 or the St. Thomas & St. John Hotel and Tourism Association at (340) 774-6835.
Two New USVI Department of Tourism Regional Offices Open in High-Potential Markets
With offices located throughout the U.S., Canada and Europe, the USVI Department of
Tourism is able to provide helpful information about traveling to America's Caribbean to leisure travel agents and potential visitors from the surrounding area. These regional
offices are located in markets where a high-potential for USVI visitors exists. In an effort to reach two lucrative markets for travelers, the Department recently opened offices in
Milano, Italy, and Sao Paulo, Brazil. To contact the Italy office, call 011-45-86-181933 and to reach the Department's Brazil location, please call 011-55-11-257-9877. USVI
offices in Atlanta, Chicago, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, Washington, D.C., San Juan, St. Croix, St. John, St. Thomas, Canada, Denmark and England continue to offer
assistance to area travel agents and interested travelers. For information about the USVI, or to contact a nearby regional office, call (800) 372-USVI (8784).
USVI Welcomes Annual Beacon Schools of the Virgin Islands Celebrity Golf Tournament
A host of well-known celebrities will gather in the United States Virgin Islands to
participate in the Annual Beacon Schools of the Virgin Islands Celebrity Golf Tournament, held Aug. 10 - 12. Activities for the weekend of golfing fun include a Gala
Reception and Dinner at the Renaissance Grand Beach Resort on St. Thomas; an all-day "Beach Blast" at Caneel Bay on St. John; and a competitive golf scramble at
Carambola Golf Course on St. Croix. Participating celebrities include major sports figures, actors, singers, comedians and more. Proceeds of this event benefit Beacon
Schools of the Virgin Islands. VI Beacons are community-driven after-school programs that provide nurturing environments where youth engage in educational, recreational,
cultural and personal growth activities. For additional information about this celebrity golf tournament, please call (340) 777-6006, ext. 5. |
