It was interesting to observe how some who strongly objected to the continued French-side border controls after the Dutch-side ones were halted changed their tune a bit after learning that regional flights to Grand Case Airport from Guadeloupe, Martinique and St. Barths had resumed. There was especially concern about the lifting of a two-week quarantining requirement between these four territories.
It must be said, they have relatively favourable coronavirus stats and the risk of infection through travel between them is thought to be limited. Besides, all are part of the French West Indies and there is a great need for frequent inter-island movement.
The Préfecture announced (see related story) that French St. Martin too will end its internal border controls on June 2, although restrictions and applications for permission are to remain in effect. Today there is another meeting with Dutch St. Maarten officials on establishing common protocols to facilitate such for sanitary-control, testing, contact-tracing and 14-day-quarantining policy.
Coincidentally, Secretary-General Miguel de Weever of the Tourism, Economic Affairs, Transport and Telecommunication (TEATT) Ministry said in Monday’s paper that the local airspace would probably first be opened for “COVID-19-free” Saba, St. Eustatius and possibly St. Barths, Anguilla, Curaçao, Bonaire and eventually Aruba. Civil aviation among these closest neighbours and joint Dutch Caribbean territories is a necessity and very important also, both to Winair’s livelihood and the hub-function of Princess Juliana International Airport (PJIA).
The next step would then be a resumption of travel from elsewhere, including the destination’s main visitor source markets North America and Europe, with various applicable conditions and precautions. The tourism economy will rebound, but numbers are expected to remain significantly lower than before.
Aruba’s hotel association foresees an average room occupancy of just 30 per cent in November. For now, the expression “less is more” will most likely be very much and quite literally in play.
