PHILIPSBURG--A number of tourism stakeholders in St. Maarten have jointly purchased the Lighthouse tourism intelligence platform to improve data collection and analysis of the island’s independent vacation rental (IVR) sector, including villas and condominiums.
The initiative was led by the St. Maarten Hospitality and Trade Association (SHTA) and carried out in collaboration with the St. Maarten Tourism Bureau (STB) and the St. Maarten Timeshare Association (SMTA). The online platform monitors IVR activity across AirBnB, VRBO, and Booking.com, providing detailed insight into rental volumes and market performance.
According to the partners, Lighthouse will deliver data on average daily rates, length of stay, booking pace, and occupancy levels, while also allowing performance comparisons with other Caribbean destinations. The platform is already in use by multiple Caribbean destinations and by France’s destination management organisation, Atout France.
Data generated by Lighthouse will be made available to SHTA member villa rental agencies, hotels, real estate companies, and other interested parties. When combined with SHTA’s long-standing monthly occupancy reports, the new data will, for the first time, allow stakeholders to track how much of the total room inventory on the Dutch side of the island is in use on a monthly basis. The platform will also help quantify the share of IVR tourism within total arrivals through Princess Juliana International Airport and provide insight into the economic value generated by the sector.
The purchase follows an extensive review of alternative solutions to monitor the rapidly growing IVR industry. SHTA indicated that a key objective of the project is to establish an accurate inventory of the sector’s size and scope, which is viewed as essential for informed policy and decision-making.
Lighthouse data for 2024 showed an IVR occupancy rate of 35 percent, measured in “keys,” on the Dutch side of the island, indicating room for growth. The data further showed that short-term rentals attracted approximately 85,000 occupants in 2024, generated more than 156,000 room nights per month, and hosted around 202,000 occupants annually.
SHTA noted that, unlike hotels, villas and condominiums generally lack dedicated marketing operations beyond online platforms and the roughly 10% of inventory represented by island real estate agencies. As a result, many properties depend in part on national tourism marketing efforts. SHTA also emphasised the importance of equal treatment between the IVR sector and the hotel industry, including comparable contributions and standards.
The Lighthouse initiative supports SHTA’s efforts to strengthen economic indicators and address previously identified discrepancies in reported tourism figures. The association stated that the project aligns with its core mission to improve quality of life on the island by supporting a sustainable economy, good governance, and the protection of St. Maarten’s natural beauty.
