Internet - Know Before You Go

These sites, chock-full of useful information about St. John, are a resource for visitors and locals alike

by Debbie Hime

With more and more travel information available online every day, anyone with a business on St. John can't afford to overlook the importance of having a strong internet presence, especially since over 70 percent(!) of vacationers research their destination online prior to their arrival*. And visitors, with all that information to sift through, have quite the challenge before them, trying to plan out that precious vacation time, so they can make every minute count (even, or maybe especially, if it's just spent lying on a beach).

With all those different options out there, I thought a guide to some good starting places for vacation planning would come in handy. And even though I've lived here for years, I use these same sites to search for St. John-related information all the time. Here are some of my favorites:

- The best site for Virgin Islands tourism information is the Department of Tourism's site at www.visitusvi.com. After a fairly recent redesign, it has vastly grown in visitor/viewer appeal and it's a great place to start your research on our islands. For locals, it's also a great way to keep an eye on the Department of Tourism's marketing strategy, which can give you some specific insights into what visitors to the island are looking forward to when they arrive.

- One of my favorite St. John-specific sites is www.varlack-ventures.com , with a great deal of concise and up-to-date information that can be very helpful for the trip-planning process. They have visitor information on everything from churches to newspapers, banks to video stores, and emergency services to underwater camera rentals.

- Where to stay on St. John can be a difficult choice, just because there are so many options. Whether you're looking for resorts, vacation villas, condos or small inns, there is a lodging option for every visitor and every budget on St. John. With too many vacation rental sites to list here, I suggest you start by taking a look at the Stay Here Next section in the Sun Times or the Where to Stay section here on the website to see some of our supporters who provide accommodations. As always, tripadvisor.com is still the No. 1 site in the world for traveler reviews, and you will find a great deal about St. John lodging and activities here http://bit.ly/by4vMI. (Remember http://bit.ly, the URL shortener? So useful.)

- With more than half the island a National Park, park-related sites can't be overlooked, especially for our hiker/outdoor guests. Sites like seestjohn.com have the most comprehensive written information and the Trail Bandit's hiking map at trailbandit.org is absolutely the best guide map. Of course, the Virgin Islands National Park's site (www.nps.gov/viis/) also has a wealth of information.

- If you're looking for up-to-date information on St. John restaurants, be wary of big global travel sites like frommers.com and fodors.com - as often as the restaurant scene here changes, those sites get pretty outdated pretty quickly. Instead, just head over to our Eat section, for a thorough and frequently updated directory.

- Some of these local sites have a great deal of information about St. John businesses but, for some reason, not their phone numbers. Whether you are in the states or on-island, you can look at the actual, official U.S. Virgin Islands phone book at viphonebook.com, which is really handy!

Doing some pre-trip planning couldn't be easier, with so many online resources just a click away! But remember, if you don't find what you are looking for online, try our beloved coconut telegraph (word of mouth) once you arrive - it is always humming!

*source: Experian Hitwise research, www.hitwise.com

Debbie Hime is a search engine optimization consultant at Savant Media Group on St. John. You can email her your internet questions and quandaries at debbie@savantmediagroup.com.

March 2010