Elaine & Brent Carnegie of Canlink, Repping the USVI in Canada
ACV sales staffers Brian Joseph, Caroline Hosein, Phyllis Caldarola &
Erin Craft
Margaret Johnson of Bluebeard's Castle Resort, St. Thomas & Judi Nagelberg of Island Meetings & Incentives
Nino Montagnese, Air Canada Vacations V.P. Sales & Marketing
It’s always a nice moment when a tour operator introduces a new destination. Even nicer when it’s with direct lift from Canada. So no wonder there were so many happy faces at the Capital Event Theatre in YTO when ACV and the U.S. Virgin Islands jointly launched their new program.
About 100 agents braved the driving rain to sip and sup with ACV staffers, USVI Reps in Canada Brent and Elaine Carnegie and 7 hoteliers from the sunny isles.
The good news? Not only is AC launching non-stop service (December to April, ex YYZ) but it’s on Saturdays. And leaves at the civilized hour of 0830.
Also good to know, this is a destination perfect for the client who likes and relates to brand name hotels. As well as well-known independents such as Bolongo Bay, there’s the Westin, the Ritz Carlton and the Marriott.
As we learned the USVI are actually 3 islands, comprising St. Thomas, St. Croix (tip: pronounced St. Croy) and St. John. Their heritage is, of all things, Danish (who knew?) but the islands were sold to the U.S. in 1917 for $25 million, which is approximately the same amount of dough dropped by cruise pax each week in St. Thomas at its world-famous duty free shops.
Another good reason to recommend the USVI to your clients: You get to shop those famous stores on the days when there aren’t a gazillion ships in port.
There’s also St. John, described as “cottage country in the Caribbean” for the client looking for a laid-back vacation, just a short ferry ride from St. Thomas. And St. Croix, which is a combination of St. John’s quiet and St. Thomas’ bustle, according to Elaine Carnegie.
The mantra of the evening was definitely “If you sell it, it will work!” Both ACV and the hoteliers are definitely hoping for a successful season which may result in greater frequency.
