What’s behind St. Maarten’s impressive tourism growth?

Read the full article in TravelAge West.

Tourism in St. Maarten has done more than simply rebound. It’s been soaring, as arrivals have surged past pre-pandemic numbers.

So, it’s no wonder the destination is predicting an especially busy winter season. To get the inside scoop on what’s behind this impressive growth, we spoke with May-Ling Chun, director of tourism at the St. Maarten Tourism Bureau.

What kind of visitor numbers are you expecting for the winter season?

In speaking with various partners around the island, such as Port St. Maarten and the Marine Trade Association, we enthusiastically anticipate a bustling winter season. In recent months, we’ve seen arrival statistics greatly surpass those of our 2019 numbers. In September 2021 alone, arrivals were up by 32% when compared to pre-pandemic levels in that same month, so we are absolutely optimistic that those numbers will continue to climb in late 2021, early 2022 and beyond.

In September 2021 alone, arrivals were up by 32% when compared to pre-pandemic levels in that same month, so we are absolutely optimistic that those numbers will continue to climb in late 2021, early 2022 and beyond.