Senators Applaud Tourism’s Handling of Coki Point Shooting

Senators praised V.I. Tourism Department officials Thursday for the way the department has handled the Coki Point beach shooting, which left a local man and a teenage tourist dead.

Tourism Commissioner Beverly Nicholson-Doty opened her testimony at Thursday’s V.I. Senate budget hearing by expressing condolences to the families of the two people -- 18-year old Shaheel Joseph and 14-year-old Liz Marie Perez Chaparro -- who lost their lives during a mid-day gun battle near Coki Point beach Monday.

“This senseless loss of life has affected each of us, and, as a community, we must all come together to make the Virgin Islands a safer place to live and visit,” she said.

Nicholson-Doty said the department has focused in the last few days on supporting the family of Liz Marie and communicating with cruise lines, the media and other travel industry partners. Monday afternoon Tourism officials chartered a plane to take the victim’s family home to Puerto Rico. She said members of her staff have been assisting the family with funeral arrangements and will be attending Liz Marie’s funeral services today on behalf of the Virgin Islands.

“At the same time, we have been attempting to mitigate the impact of this incident on our tourism industry,” Nicholson-Doty said.

She told senators that more than 135 news stories about the shooting have appeared in the national print, broadcast and online media to date. The commissioner said she has conducted more than 10 interviews with the media about the incident. The department has also activated its crisis communications website -- http://www.usviupdate.com/ -- and put out several statements for the media and travel industry.

Along with V.I. Police Commissioner Novelle Francis Jr., Nicholson-Doty is scheduled to meet with all the major cruise lines today in Florida to answer questions and allay fears that St. Thomas is no longer a safe place to call on.

Additionally, Nicholson-Doty said she has met with her entire staff, including the offshore sales teams, to provide them with “speaking points” they can use when they receive inquiries from the public or travel agents.

“We will continue to work with the media and our travel partners to mitigate the negative publicity arising from this incident,” she said. Sen. Samuel Sanes said he has been impressed with the Tourism Department’s quick response to the tragic circumstances. “You and your staff have done a wonderful job, so I thank you for that,” he said.

Sen. Carlton Dowe said that the government needs to understand the direct correlation between public safety and tourism, not just in light of Monday’s crime, but in general. “We must make it safe for our residents, of course, and if we make it safe for the residents, it will be safe for tourists,” he said. “If it’s safe for one, it’s safe for all.”