According to an article in the VI Consortium, Virgin Island Tourism has seen a rebound after “Covid-related decimation of the industry” and that reports “show that from June 2021 to May 2022, the USVI had the highest hotel occupancy in the region.” Here are some highlights:
Tourism Commissioner Joseph Boschulte said over 450,000 people traveled to the USVI in the first three months of 2022, and the visitor arrivals were up 153 percent compared to the same period in 2021.
Reports show the territory had the highest average daily rate in the region at $637 during that same time period.
USVI tourism also led in revenue per available room at $461.61.
The VI Tourism officials has a rosy outlook for 2023. Transportation Security Administration data showed that the USVI was the fastest-growing location for total airlift capacity in the Americas from 2019 to 2021. Additionally, the USVI cruise industry is expected to see triple the numbers of passengers in St Croix’s cruise port in Frederiksted in 2023.
More visitors mean more people will have the opportunity to fall in love with our island paradise, experiencing our friendly people, delicious foods and picture perfect beaches! If you plan on visiting us soon and is interested in buying a second home or a forever home on St. Croix, we are here to help you find the perfect home! With exceptional properties in the territory to choose from, your dream of owning a slice of paradise can soon become a reality. Contact us with any questions.
St. Croix is a well-known residency destination for many artists seeking a fresh environment to reflect, research or create new work. Over the last four decades, the island has seen several notable art galleries established. The latest addition to this list occurred in December 2020 when Sonia Deane opened Cane Roots Art Gallery in downtown Christiansted. Her decade-long dream finally came to fruition when the opportunity to rehabilitate a 2,800 square foot building revealed itself, resulting in a complex of residences and an art gallery. Today, Deane’s desire to merge her belief in education and her love of art into a space where collectors can appreciate and purchase art from around the world has been fulfilled.
Originally from Guyana, South America, Deane shared that she has been blessed to have the cultures of Guyana and Suriname in her DNA. At the tender age of 11, she migrated to New York City with her family. Her love story with St. Croix began in 1989 with several visits to the big island over the years. Since the gallery’s opening, Deane has been committed to maintaining her dream of merging art and education. One of the gallery’s first openings did just that. “Remembrance – A Tribute to Leo Carty” was a living legacy exhibition of the late artist whose impressionistic paintings depicted the lives of everyday people in the St. Croix community during the early years of the 20th century. All proceeds from the exhibit supported the Leo Carty Fine Art Scholarships. Four $500 scholarships were awarded to graduating Virgin Islands seniors who would pursue the visual arts following their graduation and demonstrated their commitment to any of the visual arts.
Cane Roots Art Gallery is also dedicated to highlighting Virgin Islands culture in its various exhibits. During the Crucian Christmas Festival Season, “We Ready for deh Road” photo art exhibit lit up Company Street as feathers, costumes and glitter adorned the gallery walls, complementing the photography of the three Crucian artists whose work was featured. Most recently, “Expressions of Freedom” opened at Cane Roots Art Gallery on June 23rd. The show, which consists of 15 artists, invites the community to experience the arts through a sense of freedom: Juneteenth; V.I. Emancipation Day; U.S. Independence Day; and Aug. 1, Emancipation Day in other Caribbean countries. The show will remain on display at the gallery until September 23rd.
Cane Roots Art Gallery is located at 24 Company Street in downtown Christiansted. Normal hours of operation are Tuesday through Saturday from 12pm to 4pm. The gallery often hosts evening receptions and sneak peeks of upcoming shows. To learn about their events, current exhibits and featured artists, visit www.canerootsartgallery.com or call 340.718.4929.
Article written by Anquanette Gaspard (agaspard@cruzanfoodie.com) for Coldwell Banker, St. Croix Realty
When you’re visiting St. Croix, you’ll want to add this to your list of things to do while you’re here! The three-dimensional “I LOVE STX” sign was recently unveiled to the public in June 2022 as a backdrop for visitors and locals to snap a picture. Spearheaded by the St. Croix Classes of the 80s Inc., the sign was constructed by Lennox Galloway Welding Service and designed by local artist, Lucien Downes. The official Virgin Islands madras pattern has been uniquely incorporated into the “heart” of the sign.
A nonprofit founded in 2008, St. Croix Classes of the 80s Inc includes alumni who graduated during that decade. Best known for its hallmark events like “No Money for Carnival Party” and the “Christmas Throwback Affair,” the organization’s overall mission is to create educational, cultural, economic, and social outlets for members of its generation. According to president Lydia Rivera, the idea for the sign began three years ago when the organization’s board of directors were brainstorming ways to give back to the community in a significant way. “During the pandemic, while we were on lockdown and not able to throw our annual events, we used the time to implement the design, construction, and funding for this long-awaited project,” said Rivera. The sign was created “uniquely for St. Croix” to become a “signature component of the Frederiksted landscape.” Their hope is that the sign will be the go-to background for photos taken by locals and visitors whenever they visit the Frederiksted area.
The project funding for the sign was made possible through the collective contributions of the following sponsors: Cane Bay Partners VI, LLP, David Johnson, Sorbetiere, VAR Consulting, LLC, V.I. Department of Tourism, and the V.I. Lottery. Other kind donations were made by Colorama, KGP, Omayrie Rivera-Williams, V.I. Council of the Arts, V.I. Department of Planning and Natural Resources, and V.I. Department of Sports Parks and Recreation. The “I LOVE STX” sign is conveniently located at Frederiksted Beach next to Fort Frederik in downtown Frederiksted. Be sure to visit and snap a pic with your family and friends on your next visit to St. Croix!
Article written by Anquanette Gaspard (agaspard@cruzanfoodie.com) for Coldwell Banker, St. Croix Realty
There is no shortage of locations to enjoy delicious foods and delectable drinks on St. Croix. Early 2021 introduced a new dining option in historic downtown Frederiksted at the newly remodeled Victoria House. This historic boutique inn and event venue partnered with The Chef Guys VI to offer catering for the venue and to their guests, in addition to holding a Sunday pop-up brunch and other pop-up events at the space.
Shaun Cubberly and Tyler Wells are the owners of The Chef Guys VI. This private chef company originally began in Kalispell, Montana with a goal to make private chef services more accessible to people while creating better job and career opportunities in the culinary industry. From their start in 2017, they saw an enormous amount of success. The arrival of the COVID-19 global pandemic resulted in increased business as requests for in-home catering services started flooding in. They decided to expand the business and came to St. Croix thanks to Cubberly’s sister, Alisia. “I had lived on the island on and off since 2016 and thought it was the perfect place to expand,” said Alisia. They decided to join forces to grow the business with Alisia focusing on streamlining, automating and building out their customer service systems.
The Chef Guys VI partnership with Victoria House resulted in the launch of 7 Strand STX Pop-Up Restaurant. They started off doing lunch on the days cruise ships came into port. Next, they brought in local chefs and offered a couple of dinners to better develop their concept. By February 2021, they began offering Sunday brunch, a casual pub menu on Mondays and a Chef’s Table sunset dinner on Fridays. “We’re a group of chefs that want to showcase our love of food,” said Alisia. They source as many ingredients as possible through local farmers and local fisherman. Additionally, their bar program is primarily 90% Caribbean liquor.
They’ve recently promoted local chef Keke Evans to executive chef at 7 Strand STX. “Keke reached out to us when we needed front of house staff,” said Alisia, “but she wanted to work with the team in the kitchen where she knew she could really shine.” The Chef Guys VI credits Evans to where they are today sharing “we wouldn’t be where we are without her” as she has helped to bring the local flavor to their menus.
Guests can also experience the flavors of The Chef Guys VI through their private catering services where they come to you, or you come to them at 7 Strand STX. Their weekly Sunday Brunch is available from 10am to 3pm with various food and drink specials. Their pop-up dinner dates and events are made available to their e-mail subscribers first before opening reservations to the public.* To sign up for their e-mail list, make reservations and general information, visit www.thechefguysvi.com/7strandstx or call 340.244.8079.
*Monday night dinners will resume in December 2022.
Article written by Anquanette Gaspard (agaspard@cruzanfoodie.com) for Coldwell Banker, St. Croix Realty
Act 8404 is a law created two years ago called on the Department of Agriculture and the University of the Virgin Islands to formulate comprehensive Agricultural Plan for the United States Virgin Islands. The plan would include policy and funding recommendations to support and expand the local food system, to increase locally grown food production and to provide an avenue of food security. Back in in May, the plan was unveiled (to see materials click here).
Recently the Committee on Economic Development and Agriculture heard testimony from farmers and developers of the plan. According to the St. Croix Source, the executive summary identifies the goal of the plan is “to increase agricultural productivity locally to make food security and sovereignty a reality for those living in the Virgin Islands.”
The plan defines “food sovereignty” as a system by which “the food supply is produced locally through ecologically sound and sustainable methods, with the community having authority over their own food and agricultural mechanisms.”
For Food security, the plan takes the definition from the United Nations’ Committee on World Food Security, “…when all people, at all times, have physical, social and economic access to sufficient, safe and nutritious food that meets their dietary needs and food preferences for an active and healthy life.”
David Hall, president of the University of the Virgin Islands, who, Positive Nelson Luca, the Agriculture Commissioner Positive led the testimony. Other speakers including Luca Gasperi, co-owner of Art Farm on St. Croix with 40 acres with four acres growing food, Nate Olive, of Ridge to Reef Farm on St. Croix, and others voiced their feedback, particularly concerns of ensuring proper funding.
Happy July! Is there a remodel in your future? Whether you are getting ready to list your home in the future or improving your home to enjoy now, home upgrades and construction can be stressful. So, Christie and I thought we would share a few tips on how to stay calm during a remodel project.
Use sticky notes to help yourself and your contractor stay on the timeline. When you or your contractor finish a task, take a note off the wall. It’s an easy way to keep your project on track, and it’s rewarding to see the progress.
Buying new fixtures like lights, faucets, and doorknobs can be overwhelming. Before you know it, you’ll walk through the store, and everything looks the same. Group your purchases by room to help keep yourself sane. Buy these items early in case there are supply issues.
Construction projects are messy if you’re remodeling one room or a few. To keep the dust down, block off the room with plastic. The rest of the house will remain clean. If you’re working on several rooms, take it one room at a time to avoid even more frustration.
What’s the busiest room in the house? Your kitchen. When it’s under construction, you don’t have to cancel dinner every night or go out to eat out every day. Get creative with one pot and no-bake recipes. If you have a grill, it’s time to become a BBQ expert.
If you’re thinking about a remodel, I hope that these tips help you stay calm throughout your project. If you decide to buy a new home or list your home, I can help. Now is a great time to buy and sell – call, text, or email us to set up a time to talk.
