St. Maarten signing new public relations and marketing contracts (see related story) is in principle good news. Without detailed knowledge of their content and cost it would be hard to judge whether this was the best choice and worth the money; however, the mere fact that concerted promotional efforts for the destination are again going to be undertaken seems like a plus.
Government also mentioned “challenges with lower occupancy for the summer” in their release. A recently-started Expedia campaign alone is obviously not going to be enough to ensure socioeconomically feasible guest numbers going forward.
The three rehired agencies of which two in North America and one in Europe will now target key markets focussed on fall and winter bookings. Hospitality industry experts believe the island’s general visibility can use a boost, certainly when compared to what competitors in the region are doing.
By the way, while the high US dollar versus the euro may have a discouraging effect on European travellers because it means the Dutch side is more expensive to them, for North Americans this makes the French side affordable. Our unique two-in-one “twice the fun” vacation experience benefit remains a strong selling point.
Speaking of such, even the winning vehicle licence plate design announced in Monday’s paper could contribute to attracting visitors. Perhaps some motorists would have preferred to see traditional symbols like the courthouse or pelican depicted, but Maho Beach with its airplane landings and take-offs has become truly iconic, as images of that scene continue to be shared globally on a daily basis.
Sure, it’s less about history and culture than tourism, but – after all – the latter provides the livelihood for practically the entire local population. Simply put, this is what we do.
