St. Maarten Tourism Bureau and St. Maarten Hospitality and Trade Association recently held a hurricane preparedness forum for critical partners with the aim to develop communications and logistic plans for the tourism sector. The plans will form part of the Emergency Support Function (ESF) 10 comprising the port, airport and hotels with a focus on visitor safety and security.
The operational plan outlines steps to be taken if another hurricane strikes the island. Tourism Bureau Director May-Ling Chun said the forum came at a crucial time: “Weather is changing quickly on us and these category 5 hurricanes, or other natural disasters for that matter, no longer are once in a blue moon. Reality is we have to be ready for them.” Other presentations were made by Ministry of Tourism and Economic Affairs, Transport and Telecommunications Secretary-General Miguel De Weever, and a St. Maarten Police Force representative.
