In another push to creatively market the destination, the US Virgin Islands Department of Tourism has announced a new multi-year partnership with the New York Jets football team. 

The USVI will be the official Caribbean destination partner for the Jets, collaborating through various fan-facing channels and events to promote year-round travel to the USVI. 

“There’s no better time than now to kick off this partnership between the U.S. Virgin Islands and the New York Jets,” said Commissioner Joseph Boschulte, USVI Department of Tourism. “The New York Metropolitan area is one of our main feeder markets, and we could not pass on the opportunity to collaborate with this longstanding franchise to showcase the vibrancy and culture of our beloved islands.”

The partnership is the latest in a growing number of sports-focused partnerships for the USVI, from the Boston Red Sox baseball team to, more recently, naming basketball star and USVI native Aliyah Boston its newest tourism ambassador.

The strategy is particularly focused on teams with passionate, devoted fanbases — a group that certainly includes fans of Gang Green.

The partnership will see season-long collaborations, including integrating unique elements of Caribbean culture into gameday experiences, the USVI said. 

“We could not be more thrilled to be partnering with our friends from the U.S. Virgin Island this season. We see great opportunity to unite our audiences and engage them in not only football but the vibrant culture of America’s Caribbean islands,” said Jeff Fernandez, Vice President, Business Development and Ventures at the New York Jets. “Having this partnership continues our mission of impacting lives beyond New York and sharing the game of football across the globe.”

The New York Jets and USVI celebrated the partnership launch in late July with a meeting at the franchise’s Florham Park headquarters, where Commissioner Boschulte met with team leadership and former players during pre-season practice.