USVI Reinforces “No Passport Required” Message

The U.S. Virgin Islands Department of Tourism has launched an aggressive media relations campaign over the last month to remind US travelers that the Territory remains a passport-free zone.

This approach was implemented in anticipation of the final phase of the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI), which took effect on June 1, imposing stricter regulations for US citizens that travel between the United States and other Caribbean destinations.

To alleviate any uncertainty travelers may have surrounding the impact of the new passport regulations on travel to the Caribbean, specifically to the US Virgin Islands, the Department of Tourism reached out to national and key market media outlets.

The DOT’s PR team has targeted print, online and broadcast media to remind US citizens that as a US Territory, the USVI remains a passport-free destination in the Caribbean. These efforts have resulted in significant media coverage that spotlights the Territory as a passport-free destination.

More than 25 top-tier media outlets covered the angle for an estimated return of approximately 30 million media impressions. The DOT has also communicated with national radio and TV outlets.

An industry newswire bulletin was also developed to reach news organizations nationwide that may be reporting on the WHTI passport issue to drive home the message that the recent changes do not apply to travel to the Territory.

In addition, to address inaccurate reporting about the new passport regulations, the DOT has been closely monitoring news coverage to identify any instances where the Territory’s exclusion from the new guidelines is not specifically mentioned. In such cases, the PR team has been aggressively following up with the media outlets to clarify the issue and to request corrections when possible.