Nation Opportunity Wealth (NOW) parliamentarian Lyndon Lewis has a point (see Wednesday newspaper). Government needs to do a better job conserving what few monuments are left.
Despite the efforts by, among others, St. Maarten Archaeological Center Simarc director Jay Haviser, conditions at Fort Amsterdam have deteriorated, Lewis himself noted during an inspection. A complication at times was that it can only be accessed by land via Divi Resort, but currently visits including with vehicles are freely allowed and even encouraged.
According to the opposition member, hotel staff and guests took the opportunity to express their dissatisfaction with the upkeep of this meaningful site. He called it a deplorable state of neglect.
There is a Monument Council, but properly preserving historic structures takes financial, material and human resources which apparently aren’t readily available. That’s a pity, because this is about the territory’s rich past.
In addition, it appears to be the last known local nesting ground for Brown Pelicans, the country’s national bird. All the more reason to actively protect the area.
The opposition member referred to the French side, where continuos maintenance and upgrades are reportedly carried out at Fort St. Louis. He argued that this should be possible on the southern part of the island too.
Keep in mind that the very nature of tourism is changing. It’s increasingly less about just sun, sand and sea.
The destination’s heritage and culture are of growing importance as attractions. Also in terms of the of economy, showcasing such has become a no-brainer.
