NEW YORK, United States, Monday July 9, 2012 - The readers of one of the world's leading travel magazines have picked the island of St. John in the United States Virgin Islands (USVI) among the Top 5 destinations in the Caribbean, Bermuda and the Bahamas.

Following the results of the Travel + Leisure 2012 World's Best Awards readers' survey, St. John - with its tranquil beaches, stunning vistas and history preserved among the many sugar plantation ruins found throughout the island - was ranked number five in the vast region, sharing the spotlight with neighboring Vieques in Puerto Rico (1), Harbour Island in the Bahamas (2), Virgin Gorda in the British Virgin Islands (3) and the Grenadines in the Southern Caribbean (4).

"St. John continues to be a top-of-mind destination in the Caribbean region and we appreciate the confidence travelers have placed in our Territory," noted USVI Commissioner of Tourism Beverly Nicholson-Doty, thanking the magazine and its readers for their appreciation of the island's assets.

St. John had already been listed in Arthur Frommer's Top 10 favorite travel spots for 2012, a testament to the quality of the vacation experience in the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Reinforcing the case were the top mentions in this year's Travel + Leisure survey for The Ritz-Carlton, St. Thomas and St. John's Caneel Bay, A Rosewood Resort which were both listed among the Top 25 resorts in the Caribbean, Bermuda and the Bahamas. "We are very proud of these resorts and encourage all of our partners in St. Thomas, St. Croix and St. John to continue striving for excellence in today's competitive environment," the Commissioner stressed.

Every year, Travel + Leisure asks its readers which industry suppliers represent the very best in travel. The results of the 17th annual Travel + Leisure World's Best Awards survey, revealing readers' favorite hotels, cities, islands, cruise lines, airlines, car-rental agencies, safari outfitters, and tour operators, are listed on www.TravelandLeisure.com now, will be featured in the August digital editions on iPad®, NOOK Color™, and Kindle Fire™, and they are the cover story for the August issue of the magazine, on newsstands July 20.