The U.S. Virgin Islands is a popular destination when Danes go on holiday. It is not only the white-sand beaches that attract the tourists, the islands’ historic connection to Denmark draws the Danes to the islands, who return home with knowledge in their luggage.
By Alberte Beierholm & Sofie Bladt
In a garden in Denmark one plant stands out. The plant is dark green and looks like a small bush, it is a snakeplant imported from the U.S. Virgin Islands by Annelise Debois and Steffen Hansen. The couple often brings plants home with them from their many travels to destinations around the world. Rumor has it that the plant has its origin in Africa, but came to the U.S. Virgin Islands with the slaves. The couple found the plant on their vacation to the Islands in 2015.
“Curiosity and a dream to see something. We had been to Cuba where we had experienced some of the Caribbean. If we are going to the Caribbean, we want to see and experience history. We don’t bother with the beach,” Annelise tells when asked about their motivation to visit the Islands.
“The history interests me, and I want to know more, there is too much, you can not keep up with it. So just knowing a little more and getting a little wiser,” Steffen continues.
The surprising history
For 20-year-old danish high schooler, Ida Henneberg, her first trip to the U.S. Virgin Islands was a learning experience. The, at that time 12-year-old girl, did not know much about the Islands and their history.
”My mom chose the holiday destination. The choice was between the Maldives and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The choice fell on the islands because of their history with Denmark,” Ida tells.
Selina Coley is a student who went to a folk high school on the Islands in 2013. Her knowledge about the U.S. Virgin Islands was also near nothing before she travelled to the Islands.
”I was shocked at how many Danes there were who had a romanticized image of the Islands, and think it is called the Danish West Indies. The only travel guide I could find was called ´Danish West Indies – A lost paradise’. I ended up traveling without really knowing anything,” Selina Coley says.
Travel guides in the suitcase
At Annelise Debois and Steffen Hansen’s house, souvenirs from their vacation on the Islands are covering their table. Most of it is brochures from Transfer Day 2015. An event the couple experienced up close.
Before going to the Islands their knowledge was limited to what they had read in a few novels about colonial times. In their suitcase, they had packed a travel guide to the Islands.
“Our preparation was not good enough. We had prepared a lot, but not enough at all, compared to the opportunities there were. But if I had known more, I might have been angry with the Danes, “ Steffen tells.
“We had bought the books, but you only open them when you are there. You can’t imagine it before you are there anyway,” Annelise adds.
Danes are popular despite the history
Even though the U.S. Virgin Islands have a big history of slavery, the danish tourists often experience the population on the islands as friendly and open.
”As a tourist group, the Danes are the largest after the Americans. The Danes are very popular on the Islands as a group. Maybe some people on the Islands have their thoughts about Danes, anything else would be strange,” says Lars Hven Troelsen, chairman of the Danish Westindien Society.
Also, the high schooler Ida Henneberg tells how she experienced the people on the islands as welcoming, even though she could see the Danes´role in the slavery, especially by the stories their travel-guides told.
”People were interested in us being Danes, but the culture is not danish. I want to go back there on vacation. There was so much culture on St. Croix. And people were able to remember us from the year before and were so open,” Ida tells.
An invitation from the senator
On the tablet, pictures of tourist attractions show up. Annelise Debois and Steffen Hansen love taking pictures of their holiday experiences. They talk about how they experienced great hospitality during their stay, and how they one day got a surprising invitation.
“The day before Transfer Day we talked to a gardener about what was going to happen, he asked us if we wanted to see the parliament. So there I stood in shorts on my way to the parliament,” Steffen tells.
In the parliament they were received by a senator.
“He was very kind and polite. He ended up inviting us to the Transfer Day ceremony, even though it was for invited guests only,“ Steffen continues.
After the couple came home from their vacation they have been more interested in the history, and they now know more about the Islands than before their visit.
“We drove around on the Islands but knew little about the things we saw, if we had sticked to a guided tour we would have gotten more knowledge, but we would not have been able to experience the things we did. We were told that the Transfer Day ceremony was nothing special, but for us it was a big experience,” the couple tells about their vacation.
