Confirmation of the first four-ship day since Hurricane Irma, tomorrow, Thursday, shows that the local cruise sector is slowly but surely recovering. The vessels are bringing a combined 12,000-plus passengers and crew.
Getting stayover tourism back on track will take some more time. For starters, Princess Juliana International Airport SXM is operating in a makeshift manner and obviously far from what it was before.
Two large airconditioned tents to serve as new temporary departure and arrival halls nearing completion should make a considerable positive difference. However, with the insurance claim still being finalised there is no firm date as to when the damaged terminal building can again be used.
However, the main problem is the majority of major Dutch-side resorts remaining closed. This means that even if large numbers of travellers were attracted, adequately housing them would be difficult.
In that sense St. Maarten’s absence at the annual Holiday Fair in the Dutch city of Utrecht (see related story) is somewhat understandable. It was decided not to go due to the current state of local guest facilities, which makes selling an optimal product impossible.
All this is obviously logical from a marketing standpoint, but one wonders whether a small presence at the vacation mart might not have been worthwhile. For one thing, the Heineken Regatta 2018 is scheduled for March 1-4 and could have been promoted there.
On the other hand, finding enough accommodations for the sailors, supporters and spectators expected that week is likely to prove quite a challenge. The St. Maarten Hospitality and Trade Association (SHTA) and Tourist Bureau around mid-October were still hoping to have 50 per cent of the Dutch side’s room inventory back in six to nine months, but it appears that may have been a bit optimistic.
However, the available mostly small hotels are doing their best to fill the void at least partially. Residents are thus encouraged to offer their spare rooms to the expected guests, a growing trend on the island that can already be noticed via, for example Airbnb.
In the end it boils down to simply making the best of it.
