~ 2 tourism/economic development plans for St. Maarten government to own and operate ~
Dear Editor,
The tourism industry is a highly profitable industry. However, the main benefactor in St. Maarten is the private sector. The government plays a pivotal role of facilitator, yet it reaps insignificant benefits. The amount that the government eventually collects, and the time it takes for the government to collect taxes are both insufficient and time consuming and prevents the government from properly investing in the needs of the society. Yet, when it comes to maintenance and repairs of any infrastructure of the island, the government must step up and pay.
The government is at the end of the day charged with the wellbeing of the people and the country and must therefore make use of all its resources to meet this end. When seeking ways of providing viable and sustainable income for St. Maarten, the government will do well to consider direct investment in the tourism industry.
The practice of governments owning and operating tourist attractions is not uncommon and is found in various islands in the Caribbean. The government of Aruba owns and operates the Archaeological Museum of Aruba, the Bon Bini Festival, and the Renaissance Island. The government of Barbados owns and operates the Harrison’s Cave, and the government of Curaçao owns and operates the Grot van Hato, and the Sint Christoffel Park.
St. Maarten’s single-pillar industry is, after all, tourism. And St. Maarten tourism is a viable business. Therefore, the government would do well to make direct and sustainable investments in this industry. Based on this, I have two proposals for the government to consider as acquisition for investment purposes.
The first concept that I propose for the government of St. Maarten to acquire, develop, then own and operate as a semi-public company is an eco-tourism tourist attraction in the salt pond. The “Soualiga Fun-Pond” is a suggested name for the project. This project provides government with a unique opportunity to capitalize on the tourism industry as a direct player.
The salt pond was once a natural resource commodity production plant that today has the potential to generate livelihood once again for the island and its people. However, should the government opt to pursue this project, the salt pond will not be used for production of salt as a core business. The idea is to separate a portion of the pond for salt cultivation that will be processed for sale as a souvenir at the attraction and other locations.
An island surrounded with mangroves will be created in the pond on which simulation of salt processing will be performed by life-size robotic figures with movements. Local artists will record voices of the salt workers performing work. Songs of the era will also be recorded and played through sound systems placed around the island. The actual processing of salt will be performed off location as all space is required for attraction purposes.
Other proposed attractions for the pond include rowboat and pedal-boat rides. Beautification of the landfill water edge entails planting of vegetation, which include plants and trees on a small portion of the landfill, and mangroves at the water’s edge. Behind the plants, a wall will be erected to cordon the rest of the landfill from the attraction.
It is also the idea to clean the salt pond by dredging it. This will provide somewhat deeper and cleaner water for the Tilapia fish to prosper in. The intention here is to have food resource for sale, but more importantly, to guarantee a fresh and nutritious food resource for times of calamity. Consideration can be given for introduction of a second sort of fish for variety purpose. The fish can be sold directly to the public, or it can serve as an additional attraction, where visitors pay to fish. Locals are permitted to keep their catch. Visitors must catch and release. However, they may give their catch to a local if they feel generous.
The establishment of this project will create additional income for the food trucks/booths alongside the pond. It is, however, imperative not to grant any licenses for new business in this area until a proper plan and design are made of the proposed project. It is the intention to have all stakeholders involved in the design of the project. For the Soualiga Fun Pond project to be economically viable and sustainable, consideration must be given to four major points – 1. Redesign the landfill; 2. Dredge the pond; 3. Beautify the surroundings; 4. Police presence.
The second proposed project for acquisition by the government entails Simpson Bay Lagoon. St. Maarten has a beautiful lagoon that offers immense possibilities for business ventures in the tourism sector. The government will benefit greatly from capitalizing on this opportunity to place itself in a better position to provide for its people, as well as to be one step closer to financial independence. The government is in a unique position to capitalize on investing in this industry.
Our lagoon offers an enormous opportunity for investment in eco-tourism. The island known as Little Chicken located in the lagoon is designated as a protected area. The island and its surrounding water can be converted into a protected/conservation area, where local flora and fauna, as well as Caribbean Sea life find a haven to flourish in their (simulated) natural habitat, while providing income for the government to invest into its society needs.
The suggested name for the second project is “Soualiga Garden and Sea Aquarium”. The Soualiga Garden and Sea Aquarium concept encompasses a land and submerged sea attraction. The garden section features an Orton (variety of cactus plants) botanical garden that includes locally found animals such as the iguana, mongoose, monkeys, chicken, and hopefully, (indigenous) snakes. Except for the snakes that will be enclosed and serve as an attraction for visitors to hold in their hands for a picture opportunity, the rest of the animals roam free on the island.
A snack bar will offer small-portion edible specialties of the house such as johnny-cake and chicken drumstick. And featured as house specialty beverages are bush teas that are grown on Little Chicken Island.
Transportation to and from the island will be provided by tenders. This requires land availability for the access point in the Airport Road area, which must include ample parking, the ticket booth, and the pier. In order to create the attraction, the island must be expanded to twice its present size and must include a pier for access.
All consideration will be given to guarantee that the material used for landfilling will be environmentally friendly. For example, presently, truckloads of demolished concrete and steel bars are transported from Beacon Hill on the Dutch side to the French side of the island. Science has proven that these materials create perfect setting for development of coral. This debris (another man’s waste) could have been a treasure for this project.
Around the island’s edge, mangroves will be planted for fish nesting and protection purposes. The sea aquarium entails a submerged transparent tunnel that offers view of the Caribbean Sea life from one side of the tunnel, as well as from various parts of the top of the tunnel. The intention is to provide a natural environment for the sea life. This entails a replica rock edge coastline at the end of the tunnel, partially covering the top of the submerged tunnel. Research has been done to guarantee construction of a hurricane-resistant transparent tunnel.
Government should capitalize on the opportunity to invest in this innovative, informative, and exciting, viable project. A project that will provide a new and exciting tourist attraction in the Caribbean that is difficult to copy because of its unique location and natural setting. By investing in these projects, the government is creating new job opportunities and most importantly, the government can now rely on viable, sustainable direct income rather than additional and/or new taxes. Funding for these projects can be requested from the Algemeen Pensioen Fonds St. Maarten, and/or The Kingdom of the Netherlands.
When looking at the scope of these two projects, it seems very expensive. The question is, what big investment is not costly when properly executed? Important is to guarantee return on investment and sustainability. The entrance ticket price structure will need careful calculation and must be reasonable, according to the demand.
What is already well established is that St. Maarten is a destination of choice. However, nearby islands are competing heavily. Anguilla already has a resort that is offering a variety of attractions, and St. Kitts is competing strongly with its cruise tourism. Let us seek productive ways to alleviate citizens of St. Maarten from tax burdens. All it takes is creative thinking, and willingness to work together. And by doing so, we can pay our loans back. Financial freedom, how sweet that sound.
Louis R. Engel
