That several airlines have already stated they will resume service to Princess Juliana International Airport SXM when it reopens for commercial flights on October 10 is no doubt encouraging news. The island has been an important market for these carriers and their actions appear to acknowledge this.
The numbers obviously won’t be near what they were, also because of the continued closure of several major resorts, some of which won’t be receiving guests until after the winter. Nevertheless, with the rooms that will be available there should still be a concerted effort to make the best out of the upcoming period.
President of the Collectivité Daniel Gibbs said on radio that they have taken a conscious decision to focus their marketing and promotion efforts on the 2018-2019 season. The argument is that bringing in a bunch of visitors too early when not quite ready could turn out to be counterproductive in terms of their vacation experience, the level of service, accommodations, etc.
While this may make sense for the French side, things are little different South of the open border. For one thing, St. Maarten does not have the same social laws and facilities offered by the state of France to fall back on, because it is an autonomous country within the Dutch Kingdom rather than an integral part of the Netherlands.
Moreover, while much of St. Martin’s stayover product revolves around hotels, it’s a bit different on the Dutch side with its timeshare units and condos. Granted, many of these were badly damaged or even destroyed, but a number of them may very well be occupied soon by persons who usually do so once it starts getting cold in the Northern Hemisphere.
Vacation home owners tend to be loyal to the destination and several have been inquiring for some time when they can come to view their property. In addition, small hotels and motels can take up some of the slack, as they have already been doing by housing experts and others who came from elsewhere to assist in providing hurricane relief.
The growing popularity of bed-and-breakfast arrangements through Airbnb and other providers too could contribute to a faster recovery of the local hospitality industry than might seem possible at first glance.
To help save at least part of our tourism economy, let’s get creative.
