SeaShell Experiences plans perfect mini vacation for island visitors

What is there to do on island? Where by should we eat? How do we get there?

These are questions Virgin Islands residents are familiar with, but not website visitors who shell out time hoping to get in the finest practical experience for the duration of their brief time in the islands.

Answering individuals questions is now only a telephone contact absent, and has turned into a company for Jinniah Dowdye. Operator of SeaShell Experiences, Dowdye makes custom made holidays.

Born and raised on St. Thomas, Dowdye has labored in the hospitality marketplace considering the fact that 2015, and “fell in love with serving to attendees generate their personal vacation.”

Although doing work as a cashier at Moe’s Refreshing Market place, clients repeatedly requested Dowdye where they should really go and what they really should do. She realized there was a need to have for a business that addresses these concerns so the guests didn’t have to waste any of their time on island, specially these in family vacation rentals.

“Most of the resorts listed here have concierge assistance out there or have holiday planners on web-site. A great deal of Airbnbs and private villas don’t have that provider, so that’s 1 of my goals, to arrive at out to them and get their consideration, so right before they get there on island, their getaway is already planned out,” Dowdye said.

“They’ll have a custom made itinerary with day-to-working day actions for them to do,” Dowdye said. “A great deal of people today occur on a 3-working day vacation, coming in on Friday and leaving on Monday. The time they consider sitting down at that holiday vacation scheduling desk, they’re throwing away their family vacation away, so it is superior to have every thing prepared forward of time,” she explained.

With SeaShell Encounters, Dowdye may possibly set up working day sails, parasailing and other pursuits for a person customer, a few, a team or a household, for as lengthy as they remain on island. She’ll set up restaurant reservations, airport decide up, vehicle rentals, and seashore, procuring, island and food tours. Groceries can be delivered, ready and ready for their arrival. Ought to they want rose petals or balloons in the area for a distinctive situation, she’ll make it occur, she explained.

The process is quick.

A vacationer fills out a questionnaire on the SeaShell Activities web-site and Dowdye reaches out to them with a checklist of suggestions and then programs appropriately.

“It’s likely to be customized to what they want, not just what I want to encourage,” Dowdye explained. “Some vacation planners have precise distributors they perform with. I’m making an attempt not to go that route since not everybody may want the exact same encounter. Some might want to be on a working day sail with just them and their relatives, and some may well want to go on a working day sail with other persons.”

Dowdye stated the goal of her firm is basic.

“We want them to truly have a great time and get pleasure from them selves. That way, when they go back again house, they unfold the phrase and then more people will come and check out the islands,” she claimed.

Dowdye took a gamble opening SeaShell Activities. Whilst she has knowledge in the hospitality industry, she experienced no working experience in proudly owning a business enterprise or how to market it. She intended to launch the company very last yr, but held off due to the fact of COVID-19. Every little thing was not smooth sailing appropriate absent she reported she put SeaShell Activities on social media at the commencing of the summer with minor response.

“I experienced it on Fb for a though, but I was not getting a great deal site visitors,” she explained. “It’s a whole lot to study. I started out off not recognizing significantly. I however have a lot I have to master about internet marketing and promoting,” she said, adding she not long ago completed a web page to generate targeted traffic. ‘I’m learning as I go. I’m executing anything from scratch.”

As she continues to finetune the enterprise, Dowdye claimed she has a lot of concepts in the functions and hopes to sometime work with much larger groups and possibly with the Tourism Office.

“I’ve generally been peaceful and shy, so this is a big significant action for me — putting myself out there,” she stated. “The actuality that I even started off is a major move in the correct route for me. As I go together, I’ll get to out and see what possibilities there might be.”

For more facts, stop by www.seashellexperiences.com.