SeaShell Encounters options great mini getaway for island visitors | Company

What’s there to do on island? Wherever really should we take in? How do we get there?

These are inquiries Virgin Islands inhabitants are common with, but not website visitors who shell out time seeking to get in the greatest experience in the course of their small time in the islands.

Answering those people inquiries is now only a cellphone connect with absent, and has turned into a company for Jinniah Dowdye. Operator of SeaShell Experiences, Dowdye generates tailor made vacations.

Born and lifted on St. Thomas, Dowdye has worked in the hospitality marketplace since 2015, and “fell in really like with aiding visitors make their possess holiday.”

While performing as a cashier at Moe’s Clean Sector, clients repeatedly questioned Dowdye wherever they really should go and what they should do. She recognized there was a have to have for a enterprise that addresses people issues so the company did not have to waste any of their time on island, specifically individuals in holiday rentals.

“Most of the hotels listed here have concierge assistance readily available or have vacation planners on web site. A good deal of Airbnbs and non-public villas never have that provider, so that’s a single of my objectives, to access out to them and grab their attention, so before they arrive on island, their family vacation is now planned out,” Dowdye stated.

“They’ll have a tailored itinerary with working day-to-day functions for them to do,” Dowdye explained. “A large amount of people come on a three-day getaway, coming in on Friday and leaving on Monday. The time they just take sitting at that vacation organizing desk, they’re throwing away their holiday absent, so it’s greater to have every thing prepared ahead of time,” she said.

With SeaShell Encounters, Dowdye may possibly established up day sails, parasailing and other routines for one particular visitor, a few, a team or a household, for as extensive as they remain on island. She’ll arrange restaurant reservations, airport select up, vehicle rentals, and seashore, browsing, island and foods tours. Groceries can be shipped, completely ready and waiting around for their arrival. Need to they want rose petals or balloons in the room for a distinctive occasion, she’ll make it transpire, she stated.

The process is straightforward.

A vacationer fills out a questionnaire on the SeaShell Experiences website and Dowdye reaches out to them with a record of tips and then options appropriately.

“It’s going to be tailor-made to what they want, not just what I want to endorse,” Dowdye claimed. “Some vacation planners have specific distributors they perform with. I’m hoping not to go that route because not everyone may perhaps want the exact same encounter. Some may want to be on a working day sail with just them and their loved ones, and some may possibly want to go on a working day sail with other people.”

Dowdye stated the intention of her enterprise is basic.

“We want them to seriously have a fantastic time and appreciate by themselves. That way, when they go back dwelling, they distribute the word and then a lot more people will arrive and go to the islands,” she stated.

Dowdye took a gamble opening SeaShell Activities. Although she has encounter in the hospitality business, she had no experience in owning a company or how to marketplace it. She intended to launch the small business last yr, but held off for the reason that of COVID-19. Anything was not easy sailing suitable away she claimed she put SeaShell Ordeals on social media at the beginning of the summer season with minimal response.

“I experienced it on Fb for a though, but I was not attaining substantially targeted visitors,” she reported. “It’s a good deal to discover. I started out off not recognizing significantly. I continue to have a great deal I have to discover about marketing and promoting,” she mentioned, incorporating she not long ago concluded a website to generate traffic. ‘I’m understanding as I go. I’m accomplishing anything from scratch.”

As she carries on to finetune the small business, Dowdye explained she has a large amount of tips in the works and hopes to someday do the job with greater groups and potentially with the Tourism Office.

“I’ve generally been quiet and shy, so this is a enormous big stage for me — putting myself out there,” she stated. “The fact that I even began is a significant step in the correct path for me. As I go together, I’ll access out and see what alternatives there might be.”

For extra data, take a look at www.seashellexperiences.com.