PHILIPSBURG--St. Maarten Hospitality and Trade Association (SHTA) recently presented details about “Save the Summer,” a promotional campaign, to be re-launched in the North American tourism market to attract stay-over visitors to the country in the traditional slow tourism season months, and online booking campaigns to Tourism, Economic Affairs, Transport and Telecommunication (TEATT) Minister Irania Arrindell.
Both initiatives were born from SHTA’s concerns about the impact of sluggish bookings during the current winter season, and its possible affect on this year’s summer business, as well as the country’s non-existent promotion campaigns to drive hotel occupancy.
“Save the Summer” is a private sector initiative with public sector support to promote the country in the Tristate Area on the east coast of the United States.
The complementing online campaigns will be executed via Expedia.com and Trip Advisor. Both sites combined are the most-visited travel websites in the world. SHTA’s proposal expounded on the fact that some 30 per cent of the room revenues on St. Maarten are a result of bookings through Expedia. The campaigns will assist in giving St. Maarten “a much-needed presence in the online marketplace that unfortunately had been lost over the past years,” said SHTA in a press statement.
Based on the proposals and commitment from the private sector, the Ministry has approved a public-private partnership that represents a combined investment of US $550,000, said SHTA. The investment will place St. Maarten “at a similar level, or higher, with competing regional destinations, said the association.
SHTA believes the results of this collaborative effort will be seen in bookings as early as April and onwards, as those are the months the country could benefit most from this major boost.
Representatives of Expedia and Trip Advisor will visit St. Maarten to present to the various properties the working of the co-op campaign.
SHTA commended Arrindell for “recognizing the quick wins of the proposal by facilitating the implementation of the campaigns.”
SHTA also discussed with Arrindell the current status of the St. Maarten Tourism Authority (STA).
