USVIHTA

Update

October 9, 2026

Association Updates

USVIHTA Kicks Off Season at October Membership Mixer at Nautilus 340

Thank you to those members who joined us on Oct. 8 at one of St. Thomas’s newest restaurants, Nautilus 340. Attendees sampled delectable hors d'oeuvres and beverages from the restaurant’s curated menu, described as blending French technique, Japanese precision and bold island flavors for a true Coastal Caribbean experience. Attendees also had an opportunity to share updates and heard association updates from USVIHTA President Lisa Hamilton. Hamilton welcomed new HTA board members Naomi Lima, General Manager of Marriott’s Frenchman’s Cove, and Scott Derrickson, Cruise Terminal International. Hamilton announced upcoming UVICELL Certification Courses, consisting of a seven-week course to include internship hours. The board approved five scholarships. Thank you to Bill Newbold for sponsoring. If businesses would like to sponsor a student at $850, email lisa@usvihta.com. And don’t forget, time is running out to register for the free ServSafe training on Oct. 22-23. Details below. Thank you again to those who sponsored and hosted our successful Summer Employment Program, with 18 students completing the program at 11 member businesses. We are grateful to Bolongo Bay Beach Resort for co-sponsoring the Closing Ceremony Luncheon. Lastly, we hope members will sponsor the USVI Culinary Team as they compete at the Taste of the Caribbean Nov. 16-19 in Barbados. More details on the team, current sponsors and how you can sponsor are highlighted below!

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ServSafe Certification Oct. 22-23 - Limited Seats - Deadline Extended to Oct. 9

The St. Thomas – St. John Hotel & Tourism Association, in partnership with the University of Puerto Rico at Carolina, is pleased to offer FREE ServSafe Manager Certification and FSMA Food Safety Training for hospitality and foodservice members. The eight-hour training will cover essential food-safety practices, FSMA requirements and food traceability, followed by the two-hour proctored ServSafe Manager certification exam. Training will be offered on St. Thomas Oct. 22–23 at Westin Resort and Spa at Frenchman’s Reef.

DEADLINE TO REGISTER IS OCT. 9.

PARTICIPANTS MUST:

BRING A LAPTOP TO THE EXAM SESSION (NOT FOR THE TRAINING SESSION) Cell phones, recording glasses, personal computers & iPads are not permitted during the exam
Register in advance and provide their full name and a valid email address.
Create or verify an individual ServSafe account before the certification exam.
Review the training materials and practice exam questions that will be provided before the course.
Confirm their exam language preference and any reasonable accommodation needs in advance.
Attend the eight-hour ServSafe Manager/FSMA training and then participate in a scheduled two-hour proctored ServSafe Manager certification exam.
Follow exam-security requirements.

Support the USVI Culinary Team as they Compete in Barbados this November!

The USVI Culinary Team has all the ingredients for success as the team prepares to compete at the Taste of the Caribbean culinary event in Barbados Nov. 16-19, hosted by CHTA. Executive Chef Jamal Miranda, Pastry Chef Erika Dupree Cline and Bartender Joshua Jno-Pierre represent three of the most talented and inspired culinary and beverage artists in the industry. USVIHTA is honored to have this exceptional trio representing the territory. For 15 years, USVIHTA has sponsored the USVI Culinary Team, a group of professionally trained chefs who represent our islands at the annual Taste of the Caribbean competition. The team will compete against other Caribbean nations in a variety of timed challenges that test their ingenuity, presentation, showmanship and more. All of the team members have already proven their ability to thrive under pressure during various competitions on a local, regional and world stage, excelling under strict time limits and surprise ingredients.

"It’s our pleasure to introduce the new USVI Culinary Team, who enter this competition with a fresh perspective and sharp skills," said USVIHTA President Lisa Hamilton. "These three talented individuals were meticulously selected to represent the U.S. Virgin Islands, and we are thrilled to see the passion and flavor they bring to the table."

Thank you to our team sponsors thus far! Platinum: USVI Department of Tourism; Gold: Cruzan Rum; Bronze: Marriott's Frenchman’s Cove, The Buccaneer, the Westin Frenchman’s Reef and Island Designs Landscape; Donation: Cape Air.

Click the link below to learn how you can sponsor the team! Read the press release here with more details about the team representing the USVI!

Sponsorship tiers

Local Updates

New USVI Sailing Week Debuts April 8-11, 2027 – Race, Rally & Shop the Expo!

Three of the U.S. Virgin Islands’ signature sailing and boating events come together April 8-11, 2027, for the first annual USVI Sailing Week (USVI-SW) at usvisailingweek.org. The St. Thomas International Regatta (STIR), Three Sheets Regatta & Rally and Virgin Islands Boating Expo (VIBE) deliver four days of racing, island-to-island rally sailing, yacht shopping, demos and shoreside fun across St. Thomas, St. John and St. Croix. Nightly parties, prize-givings, live music and drinks round out each day. It’s a fitting week of festivities for a destination Caribbean Journal named ‘Caribbean Yachting Destination of the Year’ in 2025.

More local news:

Traffic Advisory VIWMA Sewer Line Repair to Impact Access Along Dronningens Gade (Seventh Day Street)

Regional Updates

CHTA Announces CHIEF 2026 Keynote Speaker: G Adventures' Bruce Poon Tip

The Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association (CHTA) announced that Bruce Poon Tip, founder of G Adventures and one of the travel industry’s most influential entrepreneurs, will deliver the keynote address at the 2026 Caribbean Hospitality Industry Exchange Forum (CHIEF), taking place Nov. 16-18 at the Wyndham Grand Barbados Sam Lord’s Castle All-Inclusive Resort. Poon Tip built G Adventures from a 1990 startup, launched at age 22 on two maxed-out credit cards, into the world’s largest small-group adventure travel company, now carrying more than 200,000 travelers a year across upwards of 1,000 trips in more than 100 countries. His perspective on how the travel business can work has carried well beyond his own company. Poon Tip has addressed the United Nations and the World Bank, spoken at the headquarters of Apple and Google, and written a New York Times bestseller, Looptail, on reinventing the way a company operates.

As a valued CHTA Compliance Destination, our members are eligible to receive 10% off CHIEF registration by using the discount code: COMPLIANCE10. When accessing registration, the voucher code chief@bgi26 is used to gain access to the member registration site and unlock the member registration rates. Register now.