Dear Editor,
I first visited St. Maarten in 1985, solely because when my then girlfriend and I wanted to get away somewhere, that was the place that was most often listed in the local (Albany NY) paper’s travel company ads, as well as at most of the local travel agencies. For several more years that was the focus of Caribbean travel destinations, along with Aruba and Mexico.
Today, and for the last dozen or more years, there is no mention of St. Maarten as a destination in any ad I look at. That includes the local newspaper as well as the occasional website I visit while looking for other travel destinations. If not specifically mentioned in a web search, St. Maarten just doesn't produce a hit. It also doesn't appear in the store windows of any travel agency in the area malls. I don't go in those stores anymore, but do window shop.
It is appalling that the island doesn't attempt to attract attention to itself. If it weren't Jeff Berger's long-time SXM Newsletter publication I would never ever hear about the island. How the people running the island can go on with their proverbial heads in the sand puzzles me. Being an “educated island” was one of the selling points for serious travellers back when I bought my timeshare in St. Maarten, but that status seems to have changed as evidenced in the lack of direction by those in power down there.
Don't they see that they have to invest in their product by promoting it and that they can't rely on continuing business from past visitors forever? Even as the existing client base fades, the island has to reach out to new targets to continually introduce themselves to those seeking a Caribbean destination. This they are not doing.
I fear for the future of the island, as Cuba is definitely going to become the next great Caribbean spot as soon as it can manage to build agreements with the American hospitality industry and our government signs-off on letting Americans travel freely to that basically “undiscovered” island. If the people entrusted with St. Maarten’s future don't realize that then they aren't as smart as they need to be.
They have shown some progress in alleviating the congestion on the island’s limited roads. They are beginning to combat the growing problems with crime, drugs and shootings with an expanded police force. Theo and company managed to make huge improvements to the port and the downtown area. These things will need to continue to expand, and they will also cost more and without the tourism dollar to support them, this will all fail.
I so hope that the island politics are not going the way of the Turks & Caicos. I have followed the growth and failure of Providenciale for 20 years, and seen how the corruption of the government there has made it impossible for the native population to survive without working two to three jobs. The influx of investment in huge condo projects was sapped by the costs associated with dealing with the government. The last time I visited there five to six years ago, the number of empty units in the huge towers that now dot Grace Bay were a testament to the massive failure there due to corruption.
If the government of St. Maarten is headed that way then I fear that what we see now will never get any better. The island needs to ensure that the revenues it collects are expended properly and in the right places, such as advertising, in order to ensure continued growth and success. If not, it likely will slowly sink back to being a second-class destination and suffer the consequences.
Jim Giner
Voorheesville, NY
