Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
USVI Tourism Seeks $39 million for FY2026; lawmakers press agency on $1.3M in unpaid vendor bills
Summary
The U.S. Virgin Islands Department of Tourism told the Senate Budget Committee it is seeking the same $39 million it received in FY2025 to sustain marketing, festivals and visitor‑experience work, while senators pressed officials over a roughly $1.3 million backlog in unpaid vendor invoices.
Jennifer Matarangus King, the Department of Tourism commissioner‑nominee, told the Senate Committee on Budget, Appropriations and Finance on Aug. 19 that the department is again requesting $39,000,000 for fiscal year 2026, “directly mirroring our FY ’25 budget.” The department said recent aviation additions and a rise in festival activity helped 2025 arrivals and bookings, and officials forecast further gains for the winter season.
The department highlighted air services added this year (including new American Airlines, JetBlue and Southwest routes) and said air‑seat capacity is up versus 2024. Director for Division of Festivals Ian Turnbull and assistant commissioner Alani Heneman described expanded festival programming and partnerships with sports and lifestyle events that, the department says, have increased bookings and visitor spending.
Senators pressed staff for financial details. Jamilia Miller, director of administration and management, said the department had received most…
Already have an account? Log in
Subscribe to keep reading
Unlock the rest of this article — and every article on Citizen Portal.
- Unlimited articles
- AI-powered breakdowns of topics, speakers, decisions, and budgets
- Instant alerts when your location has a new meeting
- Follow topics and more locations
- 1,000 AI Insights / month, plus AI Chat
