St. Maarten Chamber of Commerce and Industry (COCI) urges visitors who are returning to the country after the September hurricanes to enjoy all that the island has to offer, as it continues to rebuild following the devastation caused by Hurricanes Irma and Maria.
COCI hosted activities in the country’s capital Philipsburg “to showcase who we are as a people” and to bring the spirit of the holiday season to town, when the first ship arrived weeks ago.
“Welcome/welcome back to The Friendly Island of St. Maarten. We share with you our home. Come and enjoy all that we have to offer,” COCI Board President Peggy Ann Brandon said in welcoming cruise visitors back to the country post Irma.
She urges visitors to enjoy the country’s cuisine, local drinks, the many island tours through which the beauty of the island can be enjoyed and shop in the only true tax free destination”
According to Brandon, St. Maarten/St. Martin is and shall always be a unique destination, like no other in the Caribbean. “(It is) a must visit destination, where two separate destinations can be enjoyed through seamless, uninterrupted movement across borders. A multitude of flavours, experiences offered, in a multi lingual setting where everyone feels at home.
Asked why tourists should still see St. Maarten as the preferred destination in the region to visit, she responded: “Why should they not? What has changed? The illegal acts of a few do not define us, but show that, like any nation, we will have crime that’s to be dealt with. How we deal with this and how we prevent such a re-occurrence will surely only make us better. We are a preferred destination and work diligently to maintain that status. St. Maarten is a great destination. It is beautiful and has beautiful people who go all out to give anyone a good time.”
The hurricanes of September 2017, she said, have gravely impacted the country due to the substantial damage to real property, critical infrastructure and the tourism product.
“The effect is felt by residents and businesses alike. Every segment of our society has been impacted, resulting in the need for a wide-based approach in redressing the impact. Economic development goes hand-in-hand with sociological development. The growth of an economy is strongly dependent on a well-developed labour force…
A strong educational and health care system provides a healthy, educated workforce, who in turns enhances our services and so our tourism product. The damage to our International airport, major hotels and the damage caused through crimes committed shortly following the passing of the hurricanes, which badly affected our image as a tourism destination, all factors affecting the return of tourists to the island, will translate in a negative impact to be felt by sectors servicing and supporting the tourism industry.
These sectors will feel an almost immediate impact through a definite reduction in revenues, with sustained expenses. The sectors that will enable the rebuilding will see a surge and business growth for the next two to three years. In the interim, other business sectors will struggle, unless business models can be adjusted and or amended to bridge the period until the return of tourists in numbers greater than pre-Irma and Maria.”
Brandon said the recovery undertaken thus far by residents and the business sector, given the available means, is commendable. “The resilience of the country is once again underscored. The manner in which we bounced back is simply amazing. This must, however, not fool us into thinking that all is well. We have much work to be done and must be aware of this. We must… ensure our residents can rebuild their homes promptly, that our children can enjoy education and after school programmes fully, that we have retraining programmes for those unemployed, (who are) interested in joining another sector. Large investments must be made in marketing the country and our product for long term viability.”
“In comparison to other destinations we have done a remarkable job in the short term, restoring electricity and water, reopening schools, our points of entry and businesses. The success of our recovery will, however, depend on what we do next as a nation. How we make this country and what we offer better than ever, how we define St. Maarten post Irma and Maria will be the ultimate measuring stick on how we recovered in comparison to others.”
She said St. Maarten must not strive to restore what was there before, but should strive to rebuild and set a new norms and examples for the region and the world to draw from: A small nation prepared for disaster, with an ability to recover like no other offering a destination like no other for vacation and investments.
Shortly after hurricanes Irma and Maria, COCI had conducted a survey to understand the impact and determine/anticipate the needs for recovery. The results provided insight into the damage sustained, the number of businesses continuing operations, the number of staff to be retained, the type of damage to estimate the time frame in which most businesses would be back up and running.
COCI is expected to use this information to develop programmes in close consultations with stakeholders to address safety and security matters, disaster preparedness and management, to create new market opportunities and customer base for retailers and to support government in its undertakings to attract investors to the country.
COCI had also brought in relief supplies and distributed these to senior citizens in Belvedere and children’s homes on the island.
