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August 29, 2007
Governor deJongh meets with Port Authority and WICO Boards to address cruise ship industry Gov. John P. deJongh, Jr. held a meeting, this afternoon, with V.I. Port Authority and West Indian Company Board Members to address the United States Virgin Islands’ relationship with the cruise ship industry. The meeting was also an opportunity for deJongh and board members to have an open discussion about the joint approaches the organizations could utilize to achieve the objectives of stability and growth for the St. Thomas market and passenger and ship call commitments for the St. Croix market. Lt. Governor Gregory Francis attended the meeting with the Governor. "The cruise ship industry and its players have a significant impact on our tourism product in St. Thomas and St. John, and we believe that St. Croix can be a new market of opportunity for them if presented properly, with the full commitment of the Port Authority and WICO speaking with one voice towards a common goal," said Gov. deJongh. "It’s a market cruise ship executives would be interested in, but we have to find a way to entice them." deJongh has plans to revive the former Cruise Ship Task Force under a new moniker. He believes the task force represents a true public/private partnership that will help bring these initiatives to fruition. "The growth and consistency that we can achieve in both markets can provide employment and small business opportunities for many of our residents. This is a major benefit of this segment of the tourism industry. There is a lot of potential business out there," said deJongh. "We just need to capture some of it." |
