Junior Minister for Tourism and Culture, Honourable Luce D. Hodge-Smith (R4), has said that although the 2026 tourism year is not yet complete, visitor arrivals are already very close to matching last year’s annual total. Photo: Internet Source

The Virgin Islands recorded approximately 1,202,053 visitors in 2025 by the end of September 2026, the Territory had already welcomed 1,071,716 visitors. Photo: Facebook

The Virgin Islands recorded approximately 1,202,053 visitors in 2025. By the end of September 2026, the Territory had already welcomed 1,071,716 visitors.

Speaking on Virgin Islands Voices on Wednesday, October 21, 2026, Honourable Hodge-Smith said, “October, November, and December, which are the colder months for the North, have not been included,” she said. “And already, we have done 1,071,716.”

The figures mean the Territory is just 130,337 visitors short of surpassing its 2025 annual total, with the final quarter of the year still to be counted. The Junior Minister said the strong performance reflects continued growth in the tourism sector, particularly cruise arrivals.

“But cruise visitors are what we have in terms of the higher numbers,” she said. “But we are also seeing the growth in overnight guests as well. The day-trippers kind of went down a little bit, but it’s still something of significance for us.”

Hon Hodge-Smith said cruise passengers continue to represent a major share of the Territory’s visitor arrivals, and efforts are underway to encourage them to return.

“And the cruise passengers know our efforts are to entice the cruise passengers to come back,” she said.

Global shift towards immersive tourism

She explained that the Virgin Islands is also responding to a global shift toward immersive tourism, in which visitors want deeper cultural and authentic experiences rather than only beach tours.

“There’s now cruise immersive tourism, where cruise ships or cruise passengers are not only interested in just doing a tour and going to the beach,” she said. “They want to immerse themselves in the culture, and they want to immerse themselves in the history, storytelling. They want to taste the food, and they just want to be immersed in the destination that they are visiting.”

According to Honourable Hodge-Smith, these discussions are taking place at regional and international conferences on cruise and general tourism.

“And it’s not just us here in the Virgin Islands,” she said. “All the conferences that we’re going to pertaining to cruise tourism, pertaining to tourism in general, there’s talk about immersive tourism—especially with cruise immersive tourism.” 

With the final three months of 2026 still ahead, the latest figures suggest the Virgin Islands is well positioned to match or possibly exceed its 2025 visitor-arrival total.