PHILIPSBURG--St. Maarten is 2020’s Most Innovative Destination in the Caribbean according to Caribbean Journal’s annual Caribbean Travel Awards.
The island’s “impressive strategy” has ushered in a “full-fledged tourism renaissance,” according to the publication. The progress on the island has been hard to ignore with “a miraculous increase in tourist arrivals” throughout 2019. The Caribbean Journal staff commended St. Maarten for its speedy airport recovery, rebound in accommodations, and the re-establishment of a thriving roster of restaurants and bars.
With a large number of hotel, bar, and restaurant openings in 2019, as well as the island’s 37 remarkable beaches, finding the key to St. Maarten’s success is almost easier than making friends on The Friendly Island, it was stated in a press release.
Several properties have made big waves this year, including the Sonesta Ocean Point Resort, and the Sonesta Maho Beach Resort, Casino and Spa. And exciting openings are scheduled for 2020 including the much-anticipated Morgan Resort and Spa in Simpson Bay and Secrets St. Martin Resort and Spa in French St. Martin.
Arrivals at Princess Juliana International Airport (PJIA) were up 103 per cent from January to October 2019 compared to the same period in 2018.
“We are delighted to obtain this award from Caribbean Journal,” said St. Maarten’s Minister of Tourism, Economic Affairs, Traffic and Telecommunication Mellissa Arrindell-Doncher. “As we strive to become a leading Caribbean destination, offering unforgettable experiences to our visitors, we are grateful for this recognition and are motivated to work even harder to attain our goals and look forward to welcoming more visitors to our Friendly Island.”
St. Maarten’s Director of Tourism, May-Ling Chun said: “This award is a testament to all the hard work that everyone in the travel industry has been putting into ensuring that our tourism sector recovers quickly. We’re thrilled to see that visitors are returning to the island in greater numbers.”
St. Maarten is the smallest island in the world to be shared by two nations and two Caribbean Journal 2020 Travel Awards. Just north – on the French side of Saint Martin – the Grand Case Beach Club was also recognised with the Caribbean Hotelier of the Year award for the impressive effort of Stephen Case in running a three-star hotel with five-star standards.
