Dear Source:
The USVI Hotel & Tourism Association’s Board of Directors is in full support of Coral World Ocean Park’s application to construct a dolphin habitat. The USVI faces stiff competition from other destinations. Coral World’s new attraction will provide a much needed boost to our tourism product. Claims that tourists will avoid the USVI if we have a dolphin attraction simply do not hold up in light of the numbers of people flocking to the dolphin program in Tortola and the number of successful dolphin facilities in the Caribbean, Jamaica, the Bahamas, Bermuda and Florida.
We are aware that over the years the cruise lines have dropped Coral World’s general admission tours opting instead for encounter tours, including Coral World’s Sea Lion Swim program. In making these decisions, the cruise lines have reflected the demand of their clientele for the encounters. Annually thousands of cruise ship passengers and overnight guests board ferries to Tortola to swim with dolphins. The monies these visitors spend enrich the BVI and do nothing for businesses or the Government in the USVI.
Coral World Ocean Park is a very generous corporate partner that currently provides jobs for 65 employees while losing over $600,000.00 a year operating the park. They plan to add at least 25 jobs and need this new attraction to continue to be a resource to the local community and to enhance what they offer to visitors. Coral World has always been a great supporter of environmental education and initiatives in the USVI, including the Blue Flag certification program. We are confident their new dolphin program will have the essential educational component in addition to being entertaining.
We strongly encourage you to approve their application so the USVI can remain competitive among other tourist destination and so the people of the Virgin Islands will continue to have an Ocean Park for their education and pleasure.
Respectfully submitted,
Lisa Hamilton
President – USVI HTA
Jose Gonzales – Marriott Frenchman’s Reef & Morning Star Beach Resort
Bernd Kuhlen – The Ritz Carlton, St. Thomas
Kashmie Ali – Sugar Bay Beach Resort & Spa
Nikolay Hotze – Caneel Bay St. John
Richard Doumeng – Bolongo Bay Beach Resort
Joel Kling – Best Western Emerald and Carib Beach Resorts
Gene Robinson – Jet Blue Airlines
Susan Warren – Leeward Islands Management Company
Judi Nagelberg – Islands Meetings & Incentives
Bill Newbold – Island Business Graphics
Vivek Daswani – Royal Caribbean
Sam Rey – Host U Services
Ed Thomas – Honorary Board Member
Nick Pourzal – Honorary Board Member
