The island of St Martin is located in the Caribbean Sea and is divided into two separate nations. The northern part of the island is known as Saint-Martin and is under French control, while the southern region is called Sint Maarten and is governed by the Dutch. Saint Martin is famous for its vibrant resort beaches, peaceful hidden bays, delicious fusion cuisine, lively nightlife, and duty-free shops where visitors can purchase jewelry and liquor.
The smaller of the two airports on the island is in the French part and is called Grand Case Airport. Air Caraibes and Air Antilles are flying to this part of the island from Guadeloupe, Martinique, Saint Barthelemy. The gateway remains on the Dutch side of the island.
Princess Juliana International Airport in Dutch Sint Maarten is frequented by Jet Blue, Delta, Frontier, United, American Airlines, Air France, KLM, Spirit, Jetairfly, Air Transat, Sunwing, Westjet Winair, AAS, West Indies, Air Century, SKyHigh, Inter Caribbean, and Copa Airlines.
It flew 498,832 passengers to this island from January to September 1. In 2016, the best year, 831,579 passengers landed in St. Martin.
Air Antilles was purchased by Saint Martin as a regional carrier. It resumed commercial flights on July 22, 2024, and has a partnership agreement with the tourist office, as Winair did.
491 cruise ships anchored on the island with 1,318,177 passengers arriving in 2023. Many major cruise companies such as Carnival, Norwegian, Royal Caribbean Star Clippers, Viking, Azamara, Princess, Celebrity Cruises, Windstar Cruises, Seabourn, NSC, Holland America, and Disney Cruise Line make the cruise business the most important earner for this island.
The upcoming Florida Caribbean Cruise Association )(FCCA) October 22-25, will hold its 3th Annual Conference and Tradeshow in Sint Maarten to foster a better understanding of the inner workings of the cruise industry and help attendees improve their cruise tourism business.
New hotel developments include The Whimsy, a 165-room property with a 30-meter swimming spool and a 1000 sqm spa.
The Forest will open as a tranquil retreat in a tropical forest with only 9 suites.
A charming guest house Villa Kapresse by 978 is perfect for travelers seeking a homely and relaxed stay.
Valerie introduced online training courses available for travel professionals. The tourism board hosted 60 travel agents in June to explore the island.
To overcome the low season in travel, St. Martin Tourism is encouraging travelers with its Staycation campaign, along with promotional offers for shops, activities, accommodations, restaurants, and car rentals.2500 people registered.
Upcoming events are the Festival de la Gastonomie in November and the St. Maarten Fest in December
