U.S. Virgin Islands Named One Of The Best Vacation Spots In The U.S. By U.S. News & World Report

U.S. VIRGIN ISLANDS – The Department of Tourism is pleased to announce that the Territory was selected as one of the “Best Destinations in the USA,” in the first-ever U.S. News and World Report “Best Vacations” rankings.

This list of 2011-2012 rankings was created to provide prospective travelers with a collection of the most popular travel spots around the world. The Territory received recognition in three of the 11 categories in the USA rankings: “Best Destinations,” “Best Beaches” and “Best Family Beach Vacations.”

A total of 49 U.S. destinations were analyzed, but only a select few were identified as the publication’s “Best Vacations” award recipients. These recipients, including the U.S. Virgin Islands, are destinations with a record of outstanding traveler satisfaction.

“U.S. News & World Report is a leading national and international news outlet and we are delighted to be included in this list of rankings,” said Tourism Commissioner Beverly Nicholson-Doty. “This recognition underscores the broad appeal of our islands as we continue to ensure that the USVI remains top of mind among visitors.”

The U.S. News & World Report “Best Vacations” rankings identify the best vacations based on an unbiased methodology. Two factors are combined to determine how each destination ranks: how strongly a collection of published travel writers recommend the destination, and how strongly U.S. News Travel website users (consumers) recommend the destination.

U.S. News & World Report U.S. Virgin Islands Award Rankings:

· Ranked #7 in Best Destinations in the USA

· Ranked # 2 in Best Beaches

· Ranked # 9 in Best Family Beach Vacations