The addition of a third weekly flight by Copa Airlines (see related story) starting July 2, while expected, is a hopeful sign. Reportedly connecting 77 destinations in 31 countries, the carrier has become a major regional aviation player.
It’s also the only direct airlift St. Maarten currently has from Latin America and thus key in efforts to increase arrivals from that market. Copa’s Panama City home-base grew into a favoured international hub among other reasons due to the application of US visa requirements for transit passengers in Miami and Puerto Rico.
Tourism, Economic Affairs, Transport and Telecommunication (TEATT) Minister Arthur Lambriex called the added service on Sundays a game-changer that can provide an economic boost this summer. South Americans are known to be big spenders while on holiday and obviously don’t have the same winter season as North Americans and Europeans.
Getting more visitors also during the traditionally slower months is important to keep the dominant hospitality sector going. It helps make related employment less seasonal in nature, which promotes social well-being, stability and cohesion.
The potential is clearly there. For example, Curaçao will welcome an inaugural weekly flight from Bello Horizonte in Brazil with Azul this Saturday, but already saw its number of Brazilian guests double from January through May compared to the same period in 2022, most of them travelling via Panama or Colombia.
“The Friendly Island” too should continue trying to interest other Latin American carriers to spread its tourism business both in terms of source markets and time of year. Let this be just the beginning.
