TOUR PACKAGES FROM CHINA TO THE US VIRGIN ISLANDS

Your best bet would be to contact the Virgin Islands Dept.of Tourism.

A Hawaiian company recently contacted our company about booking our tours for Chinese clients. I think their website is etourer.com.

Check with the Department of Licensing and Consumer Affairs for business license requirements. I think they offer a tour guide license, but that license doesn't give you permission to transport. You need a taxi license for that, and those are limited to veterans so you have to work in partnership with a taxi driver.

tourism dept links: http://www.visitusvi.com/contact_us

https://www.facebook.com/visitusvi

phone: 1-800-372-USVI

THANKS. Have already contacted them, but they are not in the office now. There is some kind of holiday on ST. Thomas now. I have to wait until the holiday is over to call again. Sent them an email though. Still waiting for a reply.

Do you see many Chinese tourist on ST. Thomas? Do you think more Chinese tourist would help boost the economy for the USVI? This is my goal for this year.

Do you see many Chinese tourist on ST. Thomas?

In my short experience as a tour guide, no. Mostly mainlanders and folks from Europe. Also be very prepared for having very few to no tours many months of the year (offseason) so better have a bunch of back up money or a second job prospect.

Good luck.

There are very few Asian tourists in the Caribbean. Hawaii is much closer and in the mind of many tourists, it offers a very similar experience so why take the time and expense to come to the VI? We do get quite a few Asian-Americans, though.

New Zealand also see large numbers of Asian visitors.

Sent them an email though. Still waiting for a reply.

Don't hold your breath on getting responses to phone messages and emails here, especially from a gov't office. Keep calling until you reach a live person.

Sent them an email though. Still waiting for a reply.

Don't hold your breath on getting responses to phone messages and emails here, especially from a gov't office. Keep calling until you reach a live person.

I agree with STXBOB. I have been waiting for over three years for a call back from the head of motor vehicles.

Hi,

I checked this website, but the site wouldn't open.

Hi,

I checked this website, but the site wouldn't open.

If you're referring to the tourism "contact us" link which Cruz posted, it opens fine for me.

You should be able to reach them by telephone today as Carnival is now over (the reason they were probably closed last Thursday and Friday).

Tourism is up in a very unfamiliar place like Africa for Chinese. Why are there over a million Chinese in Africa? Answer: Because they have money and see an opportunity to make more. Or, some have no money and see an opportunity to make some. The world is changing fasting than some people on ST. Thomas can imagine. New Zeland, Hawaii is saturated with Chinese. Time for new horizons, namely, the horizons of the USVI for Chinese.

By the way, I run my own business in Beijing. I want to run tours to ST. Thomas only 4 times a year, when I myself take a vacation. This is not something I am doing for staple income. It doesn't hurt to make a little extra money while on vacation, right? Plus, there are 1.4 billion Chinese here in China. Hopefully, I can get 20 of them to go with me each trip back to ST. Thomas 4 times a year. Mathemically, I think that's pretty good odds,eh? Throw in, I've been living in Beijing for 7 years and speak the Chinese language as well. My first groups of clients would be the people that I know from business that have the money to visit the USVI. Being that there a more millionares now in China than America, that shouldn't be too hard either.

I just need to understand more clearly what services there are over there to offer potential CHINESE clients. With most European countries in recession or financial crisis, doesn't look like too many Europeans will be have too much loose change to throw around on vacations to the USVI.:S

Hummm I think I'm really confused. At first you sounded like you wanted to come to STT and get a job as a tour guide. No?

Last post you want to know what services are here to offer your "clients"

So I'm getting that you're going to work as a ¿tour guide? while your on vacation and bring 20 people to the island to have them now investing? Or do you just mean places to eat, sleep, buy local goods? Waat "services" do you mean?

I think a pre move visit is in real order before you start packing people up to come to the islands. Sorry just don't understand what it is that your trying to accomplish. If its bringing people from china over to St. Thomas on a sort of guided vacation with a Chinese speaking guide to explore this beautiful island, go for it! Secondly there's a TON of history to these islands, I've been studying my but off to learn all of it, it's fascinating. I believe that the real reason I was lucky enough to land as a tour guide was because of my 17 years in the reef aquarium hobby and my bubbly personality of course 😉

If you wanted to make a business out of it I would start by coming to the VI. See how much it costs you to do a vacation here. We're in offseason now so it's a perfect time, not as crowded. I would start by touring hotels and find one that you like and try to work out special rates for your 20 ppl 4x a year. Then I would look into renting hiring a safari-taxi driver for the entire time you and your guests would be here. Make an exclusive deal with him/her. For the week long vacation X$ for transport anywhere your group wanted to go. Lasty I would link up with an awesome island tour company.... I know one http://www.stthomasadventures.com/ 😉 shameless plug for the company I work for. 😀 Take several tours, get to know the island and the history of it. Our company does off the grid style tours like hikes to old sugar mill ruins and we also go to beaches where there are very little tourists (mostly) so you get a non cattle herding more authentic experience.

I think if you can get 20 people to pay a flat fee for a weeks stay and have it all planned out on advance, it could be a lucrative business. Hope that helps.

I just need to understand more clearly what services there are over there to offer potential CHINESE clients. With most European countries in recession or financial crisis, doesn't look like too many Europeans will be have too much loose change to throw around on vacations to the USVI.:S

As has been said, you first need to speak with the Department of Tourism and you will also need to find out whether or not you need a license to conduct this sort of business in the USVI. As far as what the USVI has to offer to "Chinese clients" than if you're from here you know what we have to offer to visitors in general

There are regularly groups of Danes who visit here and much of their interest centers, of course, around the history of the islands. There are historical ties with (particularly East) Asia but obviously the success of such a venture is contingent upon your knowledge of what your Chinese visitors would be interested in and how to best present it to them.

I just need to understand more clearly what services there are over there to offer potential CHINESE clients.

I'm not aware of any services in the USVI geared specifically to the Chinese. Are there any cultural issues that make Chinese visitors different from other visitors? Language and food come to mind, in which case you may want to provide versions of menus in Mandarin (or whatever Chinese language you’re referring to), and to make certain dishes available at some pre-selected restaurants. Otherwise, I suppose that Chinese clients are interested in the same things as most other visitors: Beaches, tours, lodging, food, entertainment, diving, shopping, local culture and history, etc.

How long and expensive are the flights from China to USVI, and how many legs? That could be a major deterrent. For a long trip like that, you might want to include more islands than just STT. Certainly STJ would be easy. Maybe STX and BVI.

The Dept. of Tourism should be able to tell you how many visitors from China we get each year.

Tours for Chinese Visitors sounds like a new market and fabulous idea.. There are several regulars on this forum who offer bookings and tours. Perhaps they can share with you the "licensing process" and pros and cons of that type of business. If you are a chinese/american/VirginIsalnader you are 100 steps ahead of the competition. Good Luck! The VI needs new markets!!!

Tourism is up in a very unfamiliar place like Africa for Chinese. Why are there over a million Chinese in Africa? Answer: Because they have money and see an opportunity to make more. Or, some have no money and see an opportunity to make some. The world is changing fasting than some people on ST. Thomas can imagine. New Zeland, Hawaii is saturated with Chinese. Time for new horizons, namely, the horizons of the USVI for Chinese.

By the way, I run my own business in Beijing. I want to run tours to ST. Thomas only 4 times a year, when I myself take a vacation. This is not something I am doing for staple income. It doesn't hurt to make a little extra money while on vacation, right? Plus, there are 1.4 billion Chinese here in China. Hopefully, I can get 20 of them to go with me each trip back to ST. Thomas 4 times a year. Mathemically, I think that's pretty good odds,eh? Throw in, I've been living in Beijing for 7 years and speak the Chinese language as well. My first groups of clients would be the people that I know from business that have the money to visit the USVI. Being that there a more millionares now in China than America, that shouldn't be too hard either.

I just need to understand more clearly what services there are over there to offer potential CHINESE clients. With most European countries in recession or financial crisis, doesn't look like too many Europeans will be have too much loose change to throw around on vacations to the USVI.:S

I like the way that you think. The tourism folks should be back in office this week, so try again and you should be able to talk to someone. After, your first trip to St. Thomas you should also check out St. Croix and see if there's any opportunities there for you. Good luck.