By the Caribbean Journal staff

Demand for travel to the US Virgin Islands continues to surge.

That was the takeaway from talks between the USVI’s Department of Tourism and several major airlines last week.

There has been strong demand for seats to both St Thomas and St Croix this past winter season, according to Tourism Commissioner Designee Joseph Boschulte.

And that is likely to result in additional capacity this winter and next summer, he said.

Indeed, United is set to launch daily nonstop flights from Houston to St Thomas this summer, and would “also consider plans for new additional flights to St Thomas and St Croix the following summer,” he said.

“We have had some very important discussions about the future of airlift to the Territory and look forward to following up with our airline partners to ensure that we have adequate flights into our islands, especially as more accommodations come on line in the months ahead,” said Boschulte, who noted that United had already loaded new Saturday flights from Chicago to St Thomas before the upcoming winter season.

Boschulte also met with American Airlines in Dallas, with increased capacity from Chicago, Dallas and Miami all under consideration.

That’s along with the potential for growth out of the Charlotte hub, he said.

“”These meetings matter as we embark on a managed growth strategy through the full return of land-based tourism following the storms of 2017,” he said. “The travel and tourism sector is changing to meet its growth and is becoming more electronic and internet-based, but ironically, the more virtual it gets, the more important it is to regularly meet face-to-face with our partners,” he said.

— CJ