Today’s report that the Dutch side’s main tourism website www.vacationstmaarten.com has been offline for some time is obviously not good news. The Internet has become increasingly important in the world of travel, so the least a self-respecting destination can do is keep its own websites and other digital platforms running and up to date.
It turns out the reason was lack of payment, which is regrettable. Government and in particular the Finance Minister deserve credit for restoring order to the country’s public finances, but certain things just cannot responsibly be cut or even suspended. Promotion is essential to keep the local hospitality industry going and should always be among the priorities.
The Friendly Island has been able to hold its own in the highly competitive Caribbean market, despite spending only a fraction of what others in the region do on selling the product. However, to think one can continue to ride that luck and not invest more without consequences would be foolhardy.
Monies are apparently still due to various marketing partners abroad, although the presence of the new agency for Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxemburg (Benelux) Aviareps at the annual Vacation Mart in Utrecht earlier this week was encouraging. Whatever loose ends remain elsewhere should be tied up as quickly as possible to get St. Maarten’s name “back out there” again.
The new interim Tourism Minister is thankfully addressing the issue, but to prevent these kinds of incidental setbacks, it seems best if the St. Maarten Tourism Authority (STA) were allowed to function effectively with direct independent funding from, for example, room and timeshare taxes not influenced by immediate budget constraints. This would ensure a much-needed structural rather than a “putting out the fire” haphazard approach in the near future.
