The presence of Soul Beach Music Festival visitors will be felt over the coming days, with more than 4,000 expected. A lot of money and effort has been spent on making it a success, with – for example – the St. Maarten Police Force KPSM announcing special safety and traffic measures already a week before.
Some have complained that many events are on the French side, while only the Dutch-side government is subsidising the celebrations over the US Memorial Day Weekend on the island. However, looking at the schedule the majority are actually south of the open border and at the end of the day it remains one destination.
Also keep in mind that this is the first return of the festival to its original home. If things go well, future editions can grow and the burden as well as the benefits be more evenly shared.
Minister of Tourism, Economic Affairs, Transport and Telecommunication (TEATT) Grisha Heyliger-Marten is calling on Philipsburg merchants to open on Sunday, when a “Sip, Dip & Drip” beach party is planned in Great Bay on Boardwalk Boulevard and Front Street from 11:00am to 4:00pm. That is a good suggestion, but it could get better.
She should consider asking her colleague of Public Health, Social Development and Labor VSA for an exemption on the rule that staff must in principle be paid extra to work on Sundays and holidays. That might perhaps make it financially less risky for employers to comply with her request.
Work is always voluntary by law anyway under such circumstances, so nobody can be forced to show up on their normal day off for regular pay. It would, on the other hand, provide employers with a bit of incentive.
