The initiative by St. Maarten Tourism Bureau (STB) to stimulate incoming travel (see Thursday newspaper) is most welcome. A so-called request for proposals (RFP) was made to airlines servicing Princess Juliana International Airport (PJIA) to offer sales boosting off- and online activities.
It involves target markets North America, Europe and the Caribbean, while effectively promoting the island as a year-round destination was mentioned. As stated before, making the hospitality industry less seasonal is very important in socioeconomic terms, particularly regarding stable employment.
STB wants to establish brand recognition, -affinity, -trust and -loyalty, along with higher perceived value, positive reputation and direct bookings. The budget varies between US $5,000 and $100,000, a rather wide range that obviously depends on the nature, size and foreseen impact.
The maximum amount may still be modest compared to what others in the region spend on similar efforts, but it’s certainly better than nothing. Moreover, creative use of available funds can go a long way.
Unfortunately, the current power cuts and crime situation don’t exactly help. However, both problems are being actively tackled and there is every reason to believe things will improve during the coming days and weeks.
To be sure, this concerns long-term campaigns for the rest of 2024 and 2025. Hopefully they can nevertheless start producing beneficial results sooner rather than later, preferably in a matter of months, not years.
