Monthly destination marketing meetings between St. Maarten Hospitality and Trade Association (SHTA) and St. Maarten Tourist Bureau (STB) have restarted after a hiatus. The meetings are aimed at maximising the country’s marketing potential with the goal of attracting more visitors and creating a sustainable marketing action plan.
The meetings, the first of which was held on August 29, will form a significant part of the public-private partnership to promote St. Maarten.
Restarting the meetings was an “easy decision, since I know first-hand that this strategy worked very well many years ago,” said STB Interim Head May-Ling Chun. This approach contributed to a vibrant tourism product, she added.
Discussed in the first session were the future of the St. Maarten/St. Martin Regional Tradeshow (SMART), improving online marketing presence, the production of a comprehensive communication and logistics operational manual, and re-establishing old target markets, while creating strategies for attracting new ones.
Two outcomes are the planned collaboration between SHTA and STB on the production of the SHTA national events calendar and a joint commitment to establish a joint marketing strategy for the country.
STB shared information on upcoming international marketing events at which it will have a presence as part of its marketing strategy for 2018-2020 and beyond.
The collaboration, according to a government press statement, is in keeping with the strategic approach to destination revitalisation outlined by Tourism Minister Stuart Johnson.
