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Celebrating Womenโ€™s Day Through Community Connection

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Participants signing up for the Womenโ€™s Day photo shoot. (Source photo by Judi Shimel)

Celebrations of International Womenโ€™s Day turned into a weekend of events and activities on St. Thomas. Two events held Saturday on St. Thomas came with a focus on enterprise.

The female partner in a husband-and-wife-run business hosted a do-it-yourself workshop at Tutu Park Mall. Later in the day, another family welcomed women to participate in a Main Street photo shoot. Both events invited guests to mingle, network, and let their best qualities shine.

Photo shoot organizer May Leader said the womenโ€™s day of observance seemed like a good time to promote a sense of community. โ€œItโ€™s womenโ€™s month, and then itโ€™s womenโ€™s international day โ€” March 8; the fact that weโ€™re such a small island and we see each other all over the place, but yet โ€ฆ How do we connect?โ€ Leader asked.

As the springtime sunlight softened toward twilight, a photographer gathered women against the jalousied backdrop of a closed shop to work his magic. Leader led the series off, posing with uniformed members of the Virgin Islands Police Department.

At a greeting table near Cardow corner, volunteers signed up those who showed up. Thirteen-year-old Amayah Leader โ€” Mayโ€™s daughter โ€” took a moment to share her story of setting up a lemonade stand five years ago.

A business, she said, is now a regular part of her yearly activities. Amayah Leader described her business plan, the sketch she drew for a product label, and decisions that were made about product packaging. She also spoke about how she pays her younger sisters out of proceeds from lemonade sales for assisting her, and her supplier at the Market Square, where she buys her inventory.

When asked how much of the profit goes toward savings, the young entrepreneur said she saves it all. โ€œI pay my sisters because they help me, and then I put the rest in my savings,โ€ she said.

From the other end of Main Street, near the I. Levine building, Shammie Phipps described the 10 years she has operated a clothing boutique. She said she joined the photo shoot event in hopes of inspiring other women to step out into the world of free enterprise.

โ€œI think it will have a great impact on other women who would like to start a business (sic) or some other venture. If they could see other women collaborating and coming together, not just taking a picture, but understanding that these people live in the community and say, โ€˜Hey, I know this person. I didnโ€™t know they had a business,โ€ Phipps said.

May Leader said sheโ€™s been promoting get-togethers like this over the course of her lifetime, and that doing so is something she began by example from her family. She also spurned a question about whether the Womenโ€™s Day photo shoot was a way to attract supporters for political aspirations she hoped to pursue in 2026.

โ€œNot at all; if you know May Leader, you know May Leader has been doing this for more than the past three decades,โ€ she said.

With that, the organizer stepped back into the gathering to chat, connect, and watch the photographer capture Main Street images of community connection.

USDA Shares Information About African Swine Fever Ahead of Spring Break Travel

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As spring break travel increases across the Caribbean, the United States Department of Agriculture is reminding travelers that simple choices can help protect pigs and prevent the spread of African swine fever, a highly contagious disease that is deadly for swine, but not harmful to humans.

An educational USDA infographic explains the effects of African swine fever and shows the potential impact on the U.S. pork industry. (Photo courtesy USDA)

What is African Swine Fever?

According to the USDA, โ€œASF is a contagious and deadly viral swine disease affecting domestic and feral swine of all ages. It cannot be transmitted to people, and properly prepared pork products are safe to eat. Although it is not a direct threat to human health, its deadly nature in swine could result in pork product shortages, disruptions to trade, and economic impacts. There is no treatment or vaccine, so the best way to protect pigs is by prevention.โ€

ASF Detected Across Parts of the Caribbean and Internationally

During a recent Zoom interview with the Source, Dr. Sarai Rivera-Garcia, a Veterinary Medical Officer with the USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), discussed information about the disease and the steps that travelers can take to reduce the risk of introducing it to the United States and its territories.

Rivera-Garcia noted that ASF is not currently present in the United States or its territories, and USDAโ€™s goal is to keep it out. However, ASF has been detected across parts of the Caribbean as well as numerous countries across the world.

โ€œSo far, the United States or Puerto Rico or U.S. Virgin Islands, do not have African swine fever occurring. However, there are other areas in the Caribbean that currently have ASF among its swine population. In the Caribbean, there have been detections of ASF in the countries of Haiti and the Dominican Republic,โ€ she said.

Rivera-Garcia explained that in addition to the disease being present in areas of the Caribbean, ASF has spread globally.

โ€œSince January of 2022, there have been over 70 countries that have detected ASF, and it is circulating within in their domestic population and their wild pig population. It is a disease that is affecting pigs globally.โ€

โ€œBecause the virus can be so detrimental to the pig population, ASF could have disastrous consequences to the U.S. pork supply and to the economy,โ€ Rivera-Garcia warned. โ€œWe are trying ensure that we keep African swine fever out of Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands and the U.S. mainland.โ€

As was reported in another Source interview with the USDA, the organization has established strict safeguards aimed at keeping the virus out of the United States, including designating a โ€œprotection zoneโ€ in 2021 that covers Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

A USDA graphic outlines four key steps travelers can take to help keep African swine fever out of the United States, including a simple reminder for holiday travelers: โ€œDonโ€™t pack pork when you travel.โ€ (Photo courtesy USDA)

Animal Encounters and Contaminated Gear Pose Risks

Rivera-Garcia noted that spring break travel increases overall movement, which can raise the chance of accidental transmission. She said that the USDA is trying to increase awareness about ASF, so travelers do not unknowingly bring the virus back to the U.S. mainland or allow it to enter any U.S. territories

โ€œWe could potentially have more transmission since we’ll have a high traffic of people traveling around and more people visiting destinations that they might not visit during other times throughout the year, such as a spring break vacation in the Caribbean,โ€ Rivera-Garcia stated.

Encounters with pigs and swine occur in various ways, including during spring break activities. For example, โ€œswimming with pigsโ€ excursions are common in areas of the Caribbean, but they are not common in the U.S. Virgin Islands. However, St. Croix does have a well-known visitor stop where tourists can feed pigs cans of nonalcoholic beer.

Rivera-Garcia said the key takeaway after any pig contact, whether in the territories or abroad, is to avoid transporting pork products. Travelers should also consider what they may carry home on personal items if they have had any swine encounters.

An illustration showing examples of pork items that are not allowed in luggage when traveling, including fresh pork, homemade dishes containing pork, and other processed pork products. (Photo courtesy USDA)

โ€œIf you do have contact with pigs, it is important that clothing, shoes, or any equipment that was used during an encounter with a pig be handled appropriately. This is a virus that can survive for long periods of time. It is very resistant to high temperatures, low temperatures, and it can survive in our shoes and our clothing,โ€ she explained.

Rivera-Garcia said that thoroughly cleaning any items that may have come in contact with swine is important.

โ€œWhen travelers who have interacted with swine head back to the United States or to another U.S. territory, they should make sure to clean and disinfect any equipment that might have been contaminated.โ€

The USDA offered the following suggestions: โ€œAvoid any contact with pigs. If you must be around them, clean and disinfect your clothing and shoes before coming home. Wait at least five days after returning from a trip before visiting any farms, petting zoos, or locations with pigs.โ€

USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service graphic highlights common signs of African swine fever in pigs, including high fever, weakness, skin lesions, vomiting, breathing difficulty, and sudden death. (Photo courtesy USDA)

How Can Travelers Avoid Transporting ASF During Spring Break?

In addition to any potential interactions with swine during spring break, the USDA provided guidance while traveling, stressing the importance of not packing pork products.

โ€œWhen traveling between Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and the U.S. mainland, don’t pack or ship pork products of any kind,โ€ the USDA advised. โ€œPresent all food and other agricultural items to the USDA inspector at the airport before you leave Puerto Rico or the U.S. Virgin Islands.โ€

For travelers headed back to the U.S. mainland, Rivera-Garcia emphasized that pork products are a major concern at ports of entry such as airports.

โ€œMost pork products are prohibited to travel with. This includes some cooked products, raw products, and preserved products,โ€ Rivera-Garcia said.

She stated that travelers can review USDA guidance to understand what is prohibited and what may be allowed under limited exceptions.

A graphic from the U.S. Department of Agriculture explains which pork products may be allowed when traveling, including canned pork and certain commercially packaged, shelf-stable baked goods that contain pork. (Photo courtesy USDA)

โ€œThe recommendation is to not pack any pork products, but if an individual has an interest in traveling with a specific product in particular, they can go to the USDA website, and they will be able to find a whole list of products that are prohibited and the ones that are exceptions.โ€

Declare Food Items at the Airport

Rivera-Garcia emphasized that travelers should notify officials at airports if any contact with swine has occurred, and that any pork products or other agricultural items should be declared.

A U.S. Customs and Border Protection graphic reminds travelers to declare fruits, vegetables, plants, meats, live animals, and other agricultural items. (Photo courtesy CBP)

She also encouraged travelers to be up-front with U.S. Customs and Border Protection about where theyโ€™ve been, what theyโ€™ve interacted with, and what theyโ€™re carrying.

โ€œWhen visitors head back to the United States or the U.S. territories, we have to make sure that when travelers go through U.S. Customs and Border Protection, they declare if there have been interactions with pigs. Whatever passengers might bring in terms of food to the United States must be declared when they get to the airport to those officials at the U.S. Customs and Border Protection.โ€

If travelers are unsure whether an item is allowed, she said they should still declare it.

CBP generally advises travelers to declare agricultural products, including meats and other animal products, when entering the United States. More information is available on CBPโ€™s official website.

Concert Honors Legacy of Virgin Islands Dutch Creole Preservation

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Gylchris Sprauve (Submitted photo)

The Virgin Islandsโ€“Puerto Rico Friendship Chamber Orchestra (VIPRFCO), under the direction of maestro Gylchris Sprauve, presents โ€œDi Waakman Fan Ons Muudataal โ€“ The Keeper of Our Native Tongue,โ€ a special cultural concert honoring Dr. Gilbert A. Sprauve, professor emeritus of modern languages at the University of the Virgin Islands, on Sunday, March 22, at 4:30 p.m. at Memorial Moravian Church in Charlotte Amalie, according to a press release.

Dr. Gilbert A. Sprauve (Submitted photo)

This performance celebrates Gilbert Sprauveโ€™s contributions to preserving and revitalizing Virgin Islands Dutch Creole, a nearly lost language of the territory. The concert also marks the public introduction of a Virgin Islands Dutch Creole archival and research project that has been in development for the past five years in collaboration with linguists in Europe, the release stated.

Honoring a Vision That Preserved a Language

Gilbert Sprauve established contact with Alice Stevens, widely known as the last native speaker of Virgin Islands Dutch Creole. Born in 1898 and passing in 1987, Stevens shared invaluable linguistic knowledge with him.

In the mid 1980s, recordings of her voice were made, preserving the pronunciation, rhythm, and sound of the language for future generations. Those recordingsโ€”combined with archival materials held in Europe and the research of linguists and cultural historiansโ€”are helping revive a vital part of Virgin Islands heritage, according to the release.

โ€œThis concert honors the ancestors who carried this language forward from the 19th century into the 20th century,โ€ said Gylchris Sprauve. โ€œBecause Dr. Sprauve preserved the voice of Alice Stevens, we are now able to rediscover and revive this language as part of our living cultural memory.โ€

Music From the Archives

The program will feature musical works drawn from the Virgin Islands Dutch Creole archives, including:

  • Hymns from historic hymnals dating back to the 1730s
  • Folk songs traditionally sung by Virgin Islands children in Dutch Creole
  • Musical settings of translated folk songs prepared by Dr. Gilbert Sprauve
  • Narratives highlighting the historical development of the language and the story of its preservation

The concert will blend scholarship, storytelling, and music to illuminate both the cultural and linguistic history of the Virgin Islands.

Featured Performers

The program will feature performances by:

  • Majestik Estrada-Petersen โ€“ Soprano
  • Shikima Jones-Sprauve โ€“ Soprano
  • Robert Chalwell Jr. โ€“ Tenor
  • Glen โ€œKwabenaโ€ Davis โ€“ Culture Bearer (Commentary)
  • LรฉRoi Simmonds โ€“ Steel Pan
  • Voices of Love Ensemble
  • CAHS Concert Choir
  • UVI Concert Choir

Tickets are $30 in advance or $35 at the door and can be purchased at the Memorial Moravian Church office- 340-776-0066 and at the Doctorโ€™s Choice Pharmacy, Wheatley Shopping Center- 340-777-1400.

Refreshments will be available for purchase during the event.

Weekly Weather Forecast With Jesse Daley

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Check out our weekly weather forecast with Jesse Daley, covering Sunday, March 8, through Saturday, March 14.

Please stay safe and follow the Source for more weather updates!

Special Operations Bureau Recover Firearm, Ammunition, Drugs in Vehicle During Traffic Stop on St. Thomas

On Thursday, March 5, at approximately 10:20 a.m., members of the Special Operations Bureau responded to a report of a robbery in progress in the area of Main Street. While searching the surrounding area for the suspects involved, officers observed a vehicle traveling at a high rate of speed on Irvin โ€œBrownieโ€ Brown Street. The vehicle nearly collided with one of the SOB vehicles, reported the Virgin Islands Police Department.

Officers initiated a traffic stop of the vehicle, and while speaking with the driver, identified as Ricaldo Thomas, officers detected the odor of marijuana emanating from the vehicle. Thomas was ordered to exit the vehicle and informed that a search of the vehicle would be conducted, according to the police report.

During the search of the vehicle, officers discovered a firearm and narcotics contraband. Thomas, 30, was subsequently placed under arrest for unlawful possession of a firearm, unlawful possession of ammunition, and possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute. He was transported and remanded to the Bureau of Corrections after failing to post bail in the amount of $67,500, the police report stated.

Emergency Motion Leads to Mistrial Declaration in Kidnapping Case

An emergency motion filed by the defense on Friday morning led to a court order declaring a mistrial in a three-day kidnapping case. (Source photo by Michele L Weichman)

One day after a defendant in a kidnapping trial was shot and killed on his way to court, a Superior Court judge declared a mistrial and dismissed jurors in the midst of deliberations.

The courtโ€™s action took prosecutors by surprise, said the chief of the Justice Departmentโ€™s Criminal Division. Hours after the courtโ€™s order was issued, Criminal Chief Timothy Perry said a new trial would be sought โ€œhopefully soon.โ€

Perry called Thursdayโ€™s killing of a defendant in the midst of an active trial an execution.

Superior Court Judge Denise Francois on Friday granted an emergency motion filed by attorney Robert Leycock, Jr., representing Troy Harrigan, codefendant of Desie C. Henry Jr. Henry was shot near the Paul M. Pearson Garden Housing Community.

Police and emergency medical technicians on the scene declared the defendant deceased. A homicide investigation is now underway, according to a statement posted on the VIPD Facebook page.

Francoisโ€™ Friday morning order cited Henryโ€™s death as the reason for canceling the trial. โ€œHaving received the motion and under the circumstances (the murder of co-Defendant Desie C. Henry, Jr. at about 8:43 a.m. on March 5, 2026, before the jury began its deliberations), the Court finds that there is no alternative but to declare a mistrial for reasons of manifest necessity and to dismiss the jury,โ€ Francois said.

Speaking to a reporter later in the day, Perry said prosecutors were surprised because jurors had already spent hours in deliberations. โ€œBut the judge determined that because the codefendant had been killed in so shocking fashion that the jury wouldnโ€™t be able to reach a fair and impartial verdict with respect to the remaining defendant,โ€ he said.

โ€œSo, the case is mistried; it is not dismissed. There remain active charges against the remaining defendant,โ€ Perry said. โ€œWe expect this matter will come back up for trial, and it is not the standard of justice in the Virgin Islands that a trial can be disrupted through extrajudicial acts like the murder of this young man.โ€

The Justice official pointed out that the kidnapping trial that began March 2 marked the third attempt to hold Harrigan and Henry accountable for their alleged actions on Sept. 13-14, 2020. Charges related to that incident are contained in the Seventh Amended Information filed by the Justice Department.

Investigators say that was the time when Percival Pringle was lured into a secluded location, captured, bound with chains, beaten and tortured by the two defendants.

Those actions were taken, Perry said, in order to force Pringle to turn over drug money. In closing arguments heard Wednesday afternoon, defense attorney Leycock said Harrigan โ€” his client โ€” was not involved in a classic kidnapping. โ€œThis was not a kidnapping; this was a debt collection,โ€ Harriganโ€™s lawyer said.

While delivering his closing remarks, Assistant Attorney General Jeremy Weddle displayed photo evidence showing the waist and ankle chains lying on a stretcher in the back of an ambulance with the victim โ€” chains that EMTs testified were stained with blood.

โ€œFact after fact shows that he was kidnapped and tortured by these men,โ€ Weddle said. โ€œThe victim said he was held for two days, bound in chains, prevented from leaving and he testified how he saw his abductors produce a handgun which they threatened him with,โ€ the prosecutor said.

There was also testimony from Pringle on the witness stand about calls that were made during his captivity, attempting to extract payment of the $800,000 captors believed the victim had access to.

The criminal chief said there is sufficient evidence, statements and forensic test results to take the matter back into court as soon as a date can be set for a new trial for surviving defendant Harrigan.

Anguilla Landfill Catches Fire

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A portion of the Anguilla Landfill burns Friday afternoon on St. Croix. (Source photo by Kit MacAvoy)

The V.I. Waste Management Authority urged residents and commercial haulers Friday to steer clear of the Anguilla Landfill on St. Croix while emergency personnel addressed an active fire.

By the early afternoon, flames could be seen on a crest of the landfill from East Airport Road, and smoke from the fire drifted west over the defunct Randall โ€œDocโ€ James Race Track and toward the Henry E. Rohlsen Airport. WMA spokesperson Lorna Nichols-Minkoff told the Source early Friday afternoon that a blaze on the southeast side of the landfill had almost been extinguished but that a fire on the west side, facing the airport, was still active. Neither WMA nor the V.I. Fire and Emergency Medical Services had provided a cause for the fire by Friday evening.

Smoke from the Anguilla Landfill fire billows west toward the Henry E. Rohlsen Airport Friday afternoon on St. Croix. (Source photo by Kit MacAvoy)

The blaze marked at least theย second timeย the landfill has been shut down by a fire this year. Anguilla closed on Jan. 2 and reopened the next day, according to a statement from Waste Management at the time. At least two fires temporarily closed the facility in 2025 inย Februaryย andย March, respectively.

This story will be updated as more information becomes available.

Students Experience Virgin Islands Traditions at Folklife Festival Cultural Workshops

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Students arrive at Estate Whim Museum on the west end of Frederiksted for the Folklife Festival. (Source photo by Diana Dias)

Students stepped out of their classrooms Friday and into living history as schools from across St. Croix gathered at the Estate Whim Museum for hands-on cultural workshops as part of the fourth annual Virgin Islands Folklife Festival.

The interactive sessions introduced students to traditional Virgin Islands culture through music, dancing, cooking, art, and storytelling led by local culture bearers and artisans. Throughout the morning, students rotated through workshops where they learned about traditional foods, watched cultural dance demonstrations, participated in mask-making activities, and experienced storytelling and music that reflected the territory’s heritage.

Students make traditional masks as part of workshops held on Friday for the Folklife Festival. (Source photo by Diana Dias)

The workshops were part of the opening activities for the festival presented by Stanley and the Ten Sleepless Knights, the internationally recognized Quelbe ensemble led for more than five decades by master flutist Stanley Jacobs. From their home island of St. Croix, the group has helped carry Quelbe across the Caribbean and around the world.

Festival coordinator Kendall Henry said the goal of the festival is to highlight the people who have preserved the territoryโ€™s traditions.

Students wait patiently for the next station of events for the Folklife Festival. (Source photo by Diana Dias)

โ€œThe Folklife Festival is about honoring the people who have kept our traditions alive โ€” often without recognition,โ€ Henry said. โ€œWe are creating a space where culture is not simply performed but understood.โ€

Henry described the festival as both a celebration and a โ€œliving archive,โ€ where cultural knowledge is passed from one generation to the next.

โ€œOur culture has never been static,โ€ he added. โ€œIt evolves. But it evolves best when we understand where it comes from.โ€

One of the highlights of the day was a cooking demonstration led by Alda Francis, who showed students how to prepare traditional banana fritters while explaining the history behind the dish and its connection to earlier generations.

โ€œPeople didnโ€™t have the luxury of throwing food away,โ€ Francis told students. โ€œAnything they had, they preserved it in some fashion. Banana fritters is one of those things that came about out of not throwing away bananas.โ€

Francis explained that traditional banana fritters differ from banana pancakes, noting that the original recipe uses only simple ingredients.

โ€œIn traditional amounts, thereโ€™s no eggs, thereโ€™s no milk, none of those other additives,โ€ she said. โ€œJust very basic flour, banana, sugar or some form of sweetener, and a few spices.โ€

According to Francis, those choices were practical. Adding milk or eggs meant the fritters would spoil faster, especially in earlier times when refrigeration was not available.

โ€œIf you add milk, it takes away the shelf life of staying out on the table,โ€ she explained. โ€œSo we go back to the very traditional way.โ€

Francis also encouraged students to think about how resourceful earlier generations were when it came to cooking. Depending on what ingredients were available, different types of fritters could be made.

Alda Francis holds a demonstration on making banana fritters for students. (Source photo by Diana Dias)

โ€œIf there were no bananas on the trees and you had corn, you shaved the corn,โ€ she said. โ€œIf you had leftover rice, you mixed it up and made fritters from that too. You could actually make fritters out of anything.โ€

She also pointed out that the fruit’s flavor plays a role in the dish’s taste.

โ€œThe taste of banana fritters made with local bananas is very different to the taste of bananas bought from the store,โ€ Francis said. โ€œBananas from the store donโ€™t have the opportunity to go through the right ripening process naturally, so the smell and flavor are different.โ€

While the culinary workshop gave students a taste of traditional foodways, other sessions throughout the day highlighted storytelling traditions, artisan crafts, and demonstrations of traditional quadrille dance. Students also learned about Quelbe, the official music of the U.S. Virgin Islands.

A session where Henry taught students the maypole dance proved both challenging and fun, as students moved in and out, trying not to bump into one another. Meanwhile, Cedelle Petersen shared an Anansi story while students giggled and listened closely.

Cedelle Petersen shared an Anansi story with a group of students. (Source photo by Diana Dias)

The celebration continues throughout the coming weeks with events across the territory. On Saturday, the Folklife Festival Awards Celebration honoring Virgin Islands culture bearers will take place at Fort Frederik beginning at 7 p.m.

Students have a great time learning the maypole dance. (Source photo by Diana Dias)

On Sunday, the public is invited back to Estate Whim Museum for Folklife Festival Day from 1 p.m. to 7 p.m., featuring cultural workshops, Quelbe music, quadrille dance demonstrations, cooking demonstrations, and storytelling sessions.

Additional events include St. Croix cultural school tours from March 9 through March 12, featuring student demonstrations in quadrille dance, Quelbe music, head ties, and maypole traditions.

A culinary event titled โ€œA Crucian Tasteโ€ will take place on March 14 at Fort Frederik, offering a tasting and discussion of traditional Crucian cuisine. Admission is $25.

Later in the month, โ€œA Night of Storytellingโ€ will be held on March 20 at Fort Christian at 7 p.m., highlighting stories rooted in Virgin Islands history, memory, and tradition.

The festival will also host โ€œA Cultural Day in the Parkโ€ on March 21 at Emancipation Garden from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m., featuring live music, dance, food, art workshops, and cultural displays.

Summer programming will continue with the Quelbe Tramp and Quadrille Under the Stars with Verne Richards on July 3 at Veterans Park, followed by the Folklife Festival Youth Workshop at Estate Whim Museum from July 21 through July 23.

Many of the events are free and open to the public, offering residents and visitors an opportunity to experience the traditions that continue to shape the cultural identity of the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Tourism Officials Meet With Major Airlines at Routes Americas Forum

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Members of the U.S. Virgin Islands delegation meet with a representative from Sun Country Airlines
at the U.S. Virgin Islands booth during Routes Americas 2026 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. (Photo courtesy Tourism Department)

U.S. Virgin Islands Tourism Department officials held meetings with several major airlines and airport representatives during the three-day Routes Americas Forum, focusing on expanding air service and strengthening existing routes to the territory, the department announced in a press release.

During the forum, officials met with Breeze, Copenhagen Airport, Delta, Southwest, United, Porter Airways, Denver Airport and JetBlue. According to the Tourism Department, discussions focused on maintaining current service to the territory while exploring opportunities to expand air access, particularly to St. Croix.

Commissioner Jennifer Matarangas-King said the event provided an opportunity to speak directly with airline network planners and airport leaders about travel demand and future service, the press release announced.

โ€œRoutes Americas gives us a focused opportunity to sit down with the teams shaping airline network decisions and talk through what travelers are looking for, what markets are performing, and where the next opportunities are for the U.S. Virgin Islands,โ€ said Tourism Commissioner Jennifer Matarangas-King.

Matarangas-King said the territory continues working with airlines that currently serve St. Thomas while discussing additional service to St. Croix, the release stated.

โ€œWe are continuing to work closely with airline partners that currently operate flights to St. Thomas while exploring opportunities to expand service to St. Croix, where strong demand and yield signal clear potential for additional airlift. Our goal is to keep building smart, sustainable air access that supports our tourism economy and makes it even easier to reach our islands,โ€ she said.

In addition to airline meetings, the U.S. Virgin Islands delegation met with regional tourism leaders and partners, including the Caribbean Tourism Organization and representatives from Jamaica, Anguilla, Barbados, and Turks and Caicos, the release stated.

According to the press release, those discussions focused on shared challenges and opportunities related to air access, travel demand and seasonal tourism patterns across the Caribbean.

Routes Americas is an industry event that brings together airlines, airports and tourism officials for scheduled meetings and networking focused on air service development, the release stated.

The U.S. Virgin Islands will continue follow-up discussions that began during the forum as part of ongoing efforts to strengthen air connectivity to the territory, it stated.

Business Matters: Customers Prize Transparent Marketingย 

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Introducingย Business Matters, a new feature from the Source staff created specifically for local businesses. Our goal is to explore issues that impact business success, from branding and marketing to broader trends shaping both brick-and-mortar and online commerce.

What do customers want?ย 

While this may be an eternal question that varies a bit from one business to another, one fact remains: todayโ€™s customer puts a premium on having a clear picture of those they buy from.

A recent article from a trusted digital marketing agency argues that, โ€œHomeowners have become increasingly interested in transparency about the businesses they hire.โ€

In particular, people searching for contractors place a premium on revealing content, especially video, that โ€œshows your team at work, explains your quality control processes, or introduces crew members builds trust by demystifying the service experience.โ€

This method of being transparent to customers can be extended to any business.

โ€œSeeing real faces, understanding processes, and witnessing attention to detail,โ€ the agency points out, โ€œcreates comfort and confidence that sales copy cannot achieve.โ€

First and foremost, the goal is to โ€œaddress common anxietiesโ€ and to build trust.

For a business interested in providing this transparency, the key may well lie in determining where to start.

What Questions Do Customers Ask Over and Over Again?

The answer of how to begin starts with your customers.

Every time customers ask a question youโ€™ve heard again and again, theyโ€™re telling you where to be more transparent.

Therefore, one logical place to startย  is to โ€œ[e]valuate whether your website content addresses the questions your customers actually ask.โ€

You should ask yourself these questions:

-Is your content too technical?ย 

-Do your ads answer, in advance, common customer questions?

-Are you demonstrating โ€œhow things workโ€ in a way that reassures customers and makes them feel confident about your company?

-Do you acknowledge in your presence online that different types of customers have unique questions?ย  Or, as the agencyย  observes, โ€œare you marketing based on assumptions and generalities?โ€

Very simple adjustments to your website, social media presence and ads can provide the transparency that anxious, and increasingly wary and skeptical consumers crave.

To see how our platforms can help you showcase your business, check out our current opportunities on our Ad Rates Page. We can help you to plan the placement that best aligns with your transparency goals.

Article reference:ย 

https://www.artunlimitedusa.com/blog/top-marketing-trends-small-businesses-should-watch-in-2026/ย 

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