US Virgin Islands will pay travellers to visit this year

IT’S not as close as Bali or Fiji but the beaches are great. Here’s how to cash in.

Imagine getting paid to visit Cruz Bay, on St John in the US Virgin Islands. Picture: iStock

AS IF crystalline beaches, blue sky and soft sand weren’t enough to tempt you, the US Virgin Islands has made an irresistible bid to attract travellers in 2017.

To celebrate the centenary of Denmark selling the islands to the United States in 1917, the Islands will give tourists US$300 (A$411) in spending credits that can go toward tours and activities.

All you have to do is book your trip before October 1, and spend at least three consecutive nights on St Thomas, St John, or St Croix at a participating hotel.

Yep, that’s how an island paradise is supposed to look.

All you have to do is stay three nights at a participating hotel and book before October 1.

The Islands are located in the Caribbean Sea, southeast of Florida.

For Australians to cash in on the offer, you need to get to America’s east coast from where several major carriers offer flights. Once you arrive, you can travel between the islands by ferry.

The northern winter (December, January and February) is typically the peak season, and prices usually fall to off-peak rates after March.

Smartraveller warns anyone who is pregnant or planning to become pregnant that there is ongoing transmission of the Zika virus in some parts of the United States, and America’s Centre for Disease Control and Prevention has issued a travel notice about the Virgin Islands.