Unbiased look at the Sint Maarten Elections
Concerns expressed by the Democratic Party ((DP)) parliamentarians in Tuesday's paper regarding a perceived lack of tourism marketing should not go unnoticed. As stated before, there is currently no representation in Europe and contracts for the all-important North American continent apparently expired.
The opposition members have a point when questioning why and how Economic Affairs Minister Claret Connor is – as he stated – reorganising, reviewing and revisiting the already established St. Maarten Tourism Authority (STA) that is to handle such matters. It's understandable that the new minister took office barely two months ago and needs time to get organised, but continued promotion of the destination is something that simply can't wait.
Competitors are far from sitting still and in many cases have considerably more funds at their disposal. It is therefore essential that the Dutch side make good use of its limited available means to create and maintain a solid presence in the travel market, particularly when it comes to the United States and Canada from where most of its guests come.
Without a sustained effort to do so, "The Friendly Island" risks quickly losing ground to other, comparable vacation spots in the Caribbean and beyond. The prospect of Cuba opening up to Americans only adds to that picture.
A considerable degree of customer loyalty was built up over the years in the local hospitality industry, but that could decline easily if not constantly stimulated and strengthened. Moreover, in light of all the fallout from the Caravanserai timeshare drama, this is probably the worst moment not to be actively "selling" St. Maarten.
With a one-pillar tourism economy on which the livelihood of practically all residents depends, the island can ill afford to be forgotten. The STA must get up and running with proper financing and all other tools needed sooner rather than later; no ifs, no buts.
