U.S. Virgin Islands sees unprecedented tourist surge in 2024
US Virgin Islands sets new tourism arrival record, confirming St. Croix, St. Thomas, and St. John's popularity as a top travel destination.

The year ended with a bang, with December 28th seeing 4,606 passenger arrivals, beating the previous single-day record set in March 2024. This also set a new record for weekly arrivals, with over 24,000 visitors, a 5.92% jump from the old record.
“We're always looking for ways to explore, elevate, and improve the visitor experience," says Commissioner Joseph Boschulte of the U.S. Virgin Islands Department of Tourism. "This supports our ongoing goal to be the best destination in the Caribbean.”
In 2024, the combined arrivals at Cyril E. King Airport (St. Thomas) and Henry E. Rohlsen Airport (St. Croix) reached 932,265 passengers. This is over 100,000 more than the previous record set during the COVID-19 pandemic and a 16.5% rise compared to 2023.
These numbers cap off a year of incredible growth for tourism in the U.S. Virgin Islands. This includes a record-breaking month in March with 106,026 arrivals, and new or resumed airline routes from American Airlines, Cape Air, Delta Air Lines, Frontier, JetBlue, Spirit Airlines, Sun Country, and United Airlines.
The islands also saw a big increase in cruise ship passengers, welcoming 1,770,922, which is a 9.8% rise compared to 2023. This was thanks to maiden voyages from ships like Scarlet Lady, Icon of the Seas, Disney Treasure, Explora I, Sun Princess, Explora II, Emerald Azzurra, Celebrity Apex, and Rhapsody of the Seas. The increase shows the hard work the Department of Tourism and local partners are doing to build strong relationships in the cruise industry.
On top of welcoming more visitors, the islands also won some major awards:
- Porthole Cruise and Travel Magazine: Best Caribbean Cruise Destination 2024
- Caribbean Journal Caribbean Travel Award:
- Caribbean Culinary Destination: St. Croix
- Caribbean Yachting Destination of the Year
- Event Destination of the Year
- USA TODAY 10 Best Readers’ Choice Travel Awards:
- Top 10 Best Beach: Honeymoon Beach, St. John
- The World’s 50 Best Beaches presented by Banana Boat:
- Number 1 Best Beach in the World 2024, Trunk Bay, St. John
- Expedia 2024 Summer Outlook
- Number 1 Domestic Trending Summer Destination, St. Thomas
- HSMAI Adrian Awards:
- Experiential Marketing Bronze Award - The U.S. Virgin Islands’ Caribbean Way of Sports & Lifestyle Tourism Integrated Campaign
"Looking ahead to 2025, we'll keep finding creative ways to market the U.S. Virgin Islands," adds Commissioner Boschulte. "This includes advertising, social media, public relations, and partnerships to connect with travelers and make sure we're the first place they think of for their next vacation."
Commissioner Boschulte and the Department of Tourism are focused on an ambitious future, making sure the U.S. Virgin Islands is the top choice for travelers who want natural beauty, a rich culture, and friendly hospitality.