If there was any doubt it is now clear: The new admittance rules for yacht and cruise ship crew members per February 25 first reported on in Tuesday’s paper could not have come at a worse time and may have a severe impact on the local hospitality industry, according to the St. Maarten Marine Trade Association (SMMTA).
Not only is the Heineken Regatta this week, but the high boating season is still in full swing. What’s more, the letter announcing the measure was dated on the eve of its implementation, hardly proper notice.
But the biggest issue seems to be that allegedly no prior meetings with SMMTA were held on the matter. Of course, it involves a decision of the Justice Ministry and Police Force in conjunction with the Immigration and Border Protection Service, so one could argue this is simply a law enforcement affair.
However, taking into account the major contribution of yachting to the local tourism economy and prospects that cruise home-porting offers, surely that aspect would have been looked at as well. The move might be based on Dutch Caribbean visa policy from which people can no longer be exempted, but to all those involved, including investors in the maritime sector, it probably felt like a slap in the face.
SMMTA does agree that the country’s frontiers must be protected, but says any changes should be introduced in a way they do not have such dramatic effects. In addition, the open border with the French side where the requirements are said to be less stringent as a European Union (EU) member leads one to wonder about the practical sense of it all.
SMMTA and the St. Maarten Hospitality and Trade Association (SHTA) will now engage the Ministry and other Government departments in the hope that the island’s best interests prevail. Giving them the opportunity to do so beforehand rather than after the fact would obviously have been preferable, but perhaps some damage control is still possible; better late than never.
