Territory Tops with U.S. News & World Report

The Virgin Islands topped the U.S. News & World Report’s Best Places to Visit in the Caribbean list for 2014 through 2015, the Tourism Department announced Wednesday. The territory has consistently been recognized on this annual ranking. However, this is the first time the destination was awarded the top spot. It came in fifth last year.

The list recognized the territory for its carnival festivities, unspoiled beauty of St. John and rich history of St. Croix.

In this year’s ranking, the Cayman Islands came in second, followed by St. Kitts and Nevis.

"We’re proud to be recognized as the top-ranked Caribbean destination, and honored to know that it was from the recommendations of our visitors and the U.S. News & World Report’s editorial staff," Tourism Commissioner Beverly Nicholson-Doty said in a press release. "This recognition further illustrates our increased focus and work with partners to provide world-class tourism offerings that create long-lasting impressions."

Each year travel editorial staff from U.S. News & World Report determines which destinations to include on the travel rankings based on recommendations by travel experts and the outlet’s website users. More than 200 destinations covered by U.S. News and World Report were analyzed but only a select few were identified as the publications’ award recipients.

"The U.S. Virgin Islands made an impression on travelers this year, jumping from last year’s fifth-place spot to No. 1 in the Caribbean for 2014-15. Since this island trio is a major port for Caribbean-bound cruise ships, USVI’s visibility is growing – and travelers seem to like what they see," staff editor Allison Michael’s wrote.

The territory also ranked 10th in the Best Places to Visit in the USA category and 11th World’s Best Places to Visit category.

"The timing of this recognition is perfect, aligning with our current Virgin Islands Nice summer travel promotion," Nicholson-Doty said. "We will continue to look for opportunities to ensure the U.S. Virgin Islands remains the top destination in the Caribbean for travelers and one of the most favored destinations within the United States and the world."

To view the full list of travel rankings by U.S. News & World Report, visit http://travel.usnews.com/features/Where-to-Vacation-in-2014-15/.