U.S. Virgin Islands Launches Fantastic Flight Promotion To Stimulate Demand For St. Croix In Early Summer

St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands – In keeping with its strategy to support and grow air service to St. Croix, the U.S. Virgin Islands Department of Tourism has re-introduced its St. Croix Fantastic Flight promotion, offering $500 in value to U.S. travelers. The promotion is designed to support existing non-stop service while enticing travelers to visit St. Croix during the early summer period through an affordable vacation package.

Travelers who book the St. Croix Fantastic Flight promotion receive a $300 airfare credit and $200 in certificates for dining, attractions and shopping when they book between April 1 and June 15 for travel to St. Croix between April 18 and June 30, 2010.

“We identified a need to create appealing package pricing in the marketplace to St. Croix in order to ‘level the playing field’ with competitive destinations and stimulate additional demand,” said Tourism Commissioner Beverly Nicholson-Doty.

With reduced room availability for traditional winter vacationers resulting from the recent Hovensa turnaround, we addressed the need to shift our marketing focus back to the leisure traveler in order to sustain and grow air service. St. Croix has experienced year-over-year increases in air service for the past three years, and continued growth remains a top priority of the Department.”

As a major component of the Department’s overall strategy to focus on the leisure market, the DOT has invested $150K in St. Croix Fantastic Flight advertising that will run through the promotion’s duration in major key market daily newspapers. These markets have been targeted based on intelligence from the airlines regarding primary cities of origin for travel to St. Croix. Print advertising will run in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Dallas Morning News and the Orlando Sentinel. A series of 10-second spots are also scheduled to air on popular radio stations in these markets.

Hotels participating in the St. Croix Fantastic Flight promotion include The Buccaneer, Carambola Beach Resort, Chenay Bay Beach Resort, Club St. Croix, Colony Cove, Company House Hotel, Divi Carina Bay Beach Resort, Hibiscus Beach Resort, Hotel Caravelle, King Christian Hotel and Sand Castle on the Beach.

The package is based on double occupancy, applies to new bookings only and cannot be combined with other promotions. St. Croix Fantastic Flight must be booked through one of the following participating tour operators: GOGO Worldwide Vacations, Travel Impressions, CheapCaribbean.com, The Mark Travel Corporation, Travelocity, Expedia and Orbitz.