UTRECHT--St. Maarten’s new Minister of Tourism Irania Arrindell is determined to put St. Maarten back on the promotional map of the Netherlands and surrounding countries. The process to hire a new marketing firm for the Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg (the Benelux) is in its final stage. St. Maarten’s continued presence at the annual Holiday Expo (Vakantiebeurs) is imperative.
Arrindell, who attended the annual Holiday Expo in Utrecht last week together with Marla Chemont of the St. Maarten Tourist Bureau, said she was awaiting approval of the St. Maarten Government’s 2016 budget at the end of this month so the new marketing firm could start.
The bidding process to recruit a new tourism representative for the Benelux started late last year, explained Chemont. Three firms were selected for an interview from the offers submitted, of which one has been asked to draft a plan. The wait is pending the approval of the 2016 budget in which funds have been allocated for representation in the Benelux.
“We need to maintain representation in Europe. We can’t lose it, especially now that TUI has started flying to St. Maarten,” said Arrindell. St. Maarten has been without representation for two years after it was decided not to offer the previous firm Interreps another contract. As a result, St. Maarten was absent from the Holiday Expo for two years.
However, St. Maarten returned to the fair this year, and with two large booths: a shared initiative with St. Eustatius and Saba, and the Caribbean Luxury Club/Port St. Maarten. Hearing about the initiative of St. Eustatius, Saba and their marketing firm TVC to set up a joint Windward Islands booth at the Holiday Expo in Utrecht last week, Arrindell immediately decided that St. Maarten had to be part of it.
“I said we couldn’t afford not to be there. St. Maarten hadn’t been present for the past three years. Something had to happen. And, together with St. Eustatius and Saba we make a strong selling point. Actually, you can say that we are marketing a three-islands-plus concept,” Arrindell told The Daily Herald.
St. Maarten plays a cardinal role because it serves as the hub for St. Eustatius and Saba, but also for the other surrounding islands. Selling the Windward Islands together at the Holiday Expo, the largest of its kind in Europe, is a win-win situation for everyone.
Scores of people turned up at the Windward Islands booth the entire week to inquire about the possibilities of vacationing on the islands and to pick up the colourful, attractive brochures. The blue canvas bag with the names of all three islands was very popular. Saturday and Sunday were extremely busy. The representatives continuously had to replenish the displays.
“It is clearly working out. We complement each other. Visitors can relax on the beach in St. Maarten and go to St. Eustatius and Saba to dive and hike,” said Arrindell. The nine-day package currently offered by Dutch tour operators is deemed too short, especially when tourists want to combine their trip with a visit to St. Eustatius and Saba. “Fourteen days would be better.”
Arrindell said she would strive to have Port St. Maarten, which has its own booth at the Holiday Expo as part of the initiative of the Caribbean Luxury Club, on board for the next Holiday Expo. The Harbour has committed to its presence at the fair for five years.
“I would love to have one large joint booth, kind of like a mini Windward Islands village within the Caribbean Village. Together we will have an even greater impact. If we incorporate everyone next year, we will do even better,” said the Minister.
She said the Harbour, which brought along performer Shadowman to perform at the Holiday Expo, and the two hotels that had joined the Caribbean Luxury Club initiative were a good example of St. Maarten tourism stakeholders’ much-needed involvement in promoting the island.
“Tour operators like TUI are important to sell our product, but we also need more support from the St. Maarten stakeholders. The local stakeholders, the private sector, need to contribute more. They have to step up. They complain, but we need their assistance, because there is only so much Government can do,” said Arrindell.
She said visitors to the Holiday Expo were very interested in what St. Maarten has to offer in terms of accommodation and activities. The local stakeholders should promote what they have to offer visitors to the island.
As for St. Maarten’s promotional website
www.vakantiestmaarten.nl , the Dutch version of the popular
www.vacationstmaarten.com for the US market, Arrindell said it would be upgraded and updated once the financing for the new marketing firm had been secured. The website has not been updated regularly since the contract of the previous marketing firm Interreps ceased. The website is considered an important tool to promote St. Maarten in the Netherlands.
Arrindell further stated that she wanted to upgrade the product St. Maarten in general. “We need to bring back the affluent visitors. We need a five-star hotel. But we also have many beautiful villas that could be used.” She said she already had been in contact with the French side, as that part of the island has many luxury villas that could contribute to catering to wealthy visitors.
The Minister is also focusing on medical tourism and promoting St. Maarten as a green destination. The impact of the TUI flights from Amsterdam has been positive so far, but the selling of packages including accommodation has been somewhat disappointing. The effect on the occupancy rates at the hotels was expected to have been higher. Compared to Aruba and Curaçao, the hotel rates are much higher in St. Maarten.
Arrindell said she planned to speak with the St. Maarten Hotel and Tourism Association (SHTA) and the hotels about cheaper rates.
All in all, Arrindell was very positive about the European market. She said the German low-cost carriers Euro Wings and Condor had shown an interest in flying to St. Maarten. “The German market is on our radar. I had positive meetings and we hope that this will materialise,” she said. However, first the funding must be approved to secure increased promotion.
