A scene from one of the Soul Beach concerts at the Jocelyn Arndell Festival Village in late May.
PHILIPSBURG--The 2025 Soul Beach Music Festival drew approximately 2,500 visitors to St. Maarten and generated an estimated minimum of US $3 million in local economic activity, Minister of Tourism, Economic Affairs, Transport and Telecommunication (TEATT) Grisha Heyliger-Marten said on Wednesday.
Speaking during the live Council of Ministers press briefing, the Minister detailed the economic returns of the event, which took place May 21-26. “With a strategic government investment of $500,000, our aim was clear: To position St. Maarten on the global entertainment map, attract a new audience, stimulate local economic activity and create meaningful value for our people by extending the season,” she told reporters.
The minister said approximately $525,100 of the government’s investment had been spent directly in St. Maarten, according to data received from the event’s promoter. These funds were used to cover production and technical services, event staffing and security, local marketing, venue rental and décor, ground transportation, hotel accommodations, ancillary events, merchandising and concessions, professional services, and local permits and taxes. The minister said, “Tax figures are still being calculated for greater accuracy.”
“This represents a significant injection into our local economy, benefiting a wide cross-section of service providers and small businesses in a short space of time (five to six days),” she said.
As part of a preliminary high-level impact assessment, the minister’s cabinet engaged with 10 major hotels and condo operators, five leading car rental companies and several taxi drivers.
The hotel and condo properties consulted included Oyster Bay Beach Resort, Hilton, JW Marriott, Simpson Bay Resort, Sonesta Maho, Divi Little Bay, Holland House, Alicia’s Inn, Fourteen at Mullet Bay, and The Hills Residence. Feedback from these establishments showed hotel occupancy rates during the festival ranging between 85% and 95%, compared to 60%-70% for the same Memorial Day weekend in 2024.
Car rental companies Avis, Budget, Hertz, Thrifty, and Sixt also reported increased bookings, with Avis seeing a 50% increase, Budget 67%, and others between 25% and 45%.
Taxi drivers were similarly positive, reporting earnings between $800 and $1,000 over the festival weekend.
“We believe this investment has yielded strong returns across several key areas: Increased visitor arrivals and tourism spending; boosted hotel and guest-house occupancy; stimulated activity across restaurants, retail shops, taxis, and local businesses; created hundreds of local job opportunities; provided a platform for St. Maarten’s creatives, entertainers, and entrepreneurs; and attracted global media attention [and] enhanced our destination branding,” Heyliger-Marten said.
To illustrate the event’s return on investment, she compared it to Aruba, a former host of the Soul Beach Festival.
“Aruba, a previous host, invested up to $2.1 million, welcomed 7,000 visitors, and generated an estimated $30 million in economic spin-off. St. Maarten, with just $500,000, welcomed approximately 2,500 visitors, with an estimated minimum of $3 million in local economic activity,” she explained. “While Aruba had higher total numbers, St. Maarten demonstrated a much stronger return on investment – delivering more value per dollar spent and achieving deeper local economic engagement.”
She said based on a conservative estimate – 2,500 visitors staying 5-6 nights and spending an average of $1,500 each – the total economic impact is expected to run into the millions, covering sectors such as hotels, transportation, dining, and entertainment.
She said the evaluation process is ongoing. The government is currently awaiting feedback from the official Soul Beach survey, visitor data from the St. Maarten Tourism Bureau (STB) exit survey, final arrival statistics from Princess Juliana International Airport (PJIA), and overall tax return data for the quarter.
“To ensure a comprehensive evaluation, on Friday, May 30, I formally requested the Social and Economic Council SER to conduct an independent and thorough assessment of the festival’s social and economic impact,” she said. “As always, I believe in transparency and evidence-based planning. Once all reports are in, I will present a detailed and public impact report to the people of St. Maarten. This is about accountability, measurable results, and building a sustainable path forward – to refine and replicate impactful events like Soul Beach in ways that uplift our people and our economy.”
