Thursday 28 June 2018

ST MAARTEN & ST MARTIN: Tourism Recovering With New Flights And Hotels Reopening

The tourism industry in St Maarten/St Martin continues to recover at a rapid pace as airlines add new service and hotels reopen following the passage of Hurricanes Irma and Maria last September.

American Airlines recently announced that it has increased seat capacity on its daily flight from Miami upgrading their Miami International Airport (MIA) – Princess Juliana International Airport (SXM) route to a Boeing 737-800 aircraft, accommodating 160 passengers.

In addition, American Airlines will be adding a daily nonstop flight to St Maarten from its hub at Charlotte Douglas International Airport (CLT) starting November 4, 2018, as well as a second daily nonstop from Miami effective December 19, 2018.

Both new flights are currently bookable and will be operated by Airbus A319 aircraft with a capacity of 128 passengers.

St Maarten’s Princess Juliana Airport (SXM) continues to report great progress in terms of improved connectivity as the year progresses.

As of May 2018, two-thirds of all carriers that provided flights to and from the award-winning airport have resumed regular service.

From the United States, travelers can fly to St Maarten with United Airlines, American Airlines, JetBlue, Delta Air Lines, Spirit Airlines, and Seaborne Airlines.

Service from Toronto is available on WestJet, and Dominican carrier Air Century, and Panama-based Copa Airlines have returned as well.

Due to the collaborative efforts by all stakeholders and the community at large, St Maarten has been able to make a quick turnaround, said St Maarten minister of tourism, Cornelius De Weever. We are grateful to the return of all airlines and the reopening of our properties.

This shows the confidence American Airlines has in the comeback of St Maarten/St Martin, the public and private sector have been working continuously with American Airlines to ensure that the flights return in a balanced way complementing the re-opening of various accommodations, added St Maarten’s interim head of tourism, May-Ling Chun.

As of May 2018, there are just fewer than 2,000 bookable rooms available across the entire island.

122 villas and condos are open for business island-wide, boutique hotels and guest houses are ready to accommodate travelers, and several larger properties have conducted soft openings in order to welcome back guests.

Some 87 percent of all on-island activities are also available for guests to enjoy.


Tourism Observer

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