GREAT BAY--Dutch St. Maarten has received major international exposure in two Los Angeles Times special supplement features highlighting the country's tourism strength, growing luxury market, expanding air and cruise connectivity and increasingly important role as a logistics and transshipment hub for the Northeastern Caribbean.
The Los Angeles Times features present St. Maarten as a destination moving beyond its traditional tourism image and investing in infrastructure, hospitality, connectivity and regional trade. Under the headline “Sint Maarten: The Destination That Offers Everything,” the tourism feature places strong emphasis on the island's mix of European influence and Caribbean culture, its diverse visitor experiences and its role as a gateway to neighbouring islands.
Minister of Tourism, Economic Affairs, Transport and Telecommunication Grisha Heyliger-Marten said the island's appeal lies in the range of experiences visitors can enjoy across both sides.
“What makes the island special is the mix of European influence and Caribbean culture,” Heyliger-Marten said. “Visitors can enjoy Michelin-style cuisine, especially on the French side, and vibrant nightlife on the Dutch side.”
The feature said nearly 2.5 million people travelled to the island in 2025, including approximately 1.6 million cruise passengers and 856,000 air passengers. The Los Angeles Times linked the strong air arrival performance to completion of the US $129 million reconstruction of Princess Juliana International Airport following Hurricane Irma.
The airport now provides direct connections to 43 global destinations, including 11 cities in the United States, while 54 percent of arrivals originate from the U.S., according to the feature.
Winair Chief Executive Officer Hans van de Velde said St. Maarten's geographic position and airport infrastructure continue to strengthen its role as a Caribbean hub.
“We now have the best airport in the region,” van de Velde said, adding that St. Maarten is the first major Caribbean island reached by many U.S. travelers and benefits from having the region's largest airport and a strong hub function.
Heyliger-Marten said Government is already looking at the next phase of expansion, including the airport and Port St. Maarten.
“The next phase is airport expansion. Our port is also expanding to handle larger ships, allowing three to four at a time, which many other Caribbean ports can't. Our goal is to attract new audiences and create year-round sustainability for tourism,” she said.
The Minister also outlined St. Maarten's effort to attract more high-end travellers and investment, with a greater focus on boutique hotels and upscale tourism. She said Government is working to improve the business climate and pointed to Dutch and U.S. treaty relationships as an advantage for American investors.
St. Maarten Tourism Bureau Director May-Ling Chun described the destination as vibrant, layered and able to deliver a wide variety of experiences within a single day.
“Travelers today are looking for ease of access, diversity, strong accommodation options and memorable experiences, and Sint Maarten delivers on all those fronts,” Chun said.
She said visitors can experience beaches, fine dining, local food, yachting, shopping, wellness, heritage, nightlife and authentic Caribbean culture, while the Tourism Bureau is increasingly using locally rooted storytelling to showcase neighbourhoods, cuisine, music, people and traditions.
The feature also highlighted major events including Carnival, Emancipation Day and the November food festival as important parts of the country's cultural tourism product.
Chun said St. Maarten has deliberately moved beyond generic destination marketing and wants travellers to understand how the country feels, not only how it looks.
The hospitality sector was also presented as entering a new phase, with investment linked to names including Hilton, JW Marriott and Altree Developments. Chun said St. Maarten's international recognition, strong North American market, regional gateway role and potential for further product diversification are creating opportunities for investors.
The Los Angeles Times tourism feature also highlighted Simpson Bay Resort, Marina & Spa as an example of an established property repositioning itself, moving from a timeshare model toward a modern hotel-style destination offering studios, suites and villas.
In a separate feature titled “An Efficient Regional Trans-Shipment Hub,” the Los Angeles Times turned attention to St. Maarten's maritime and logistics sector and the role of Port St. Maarten in regional cargo movement.
The feature described St. Maarten as increasingly important to Northeastern Caribbean trade, with cargo from major carriers in the United States and Europe arriving at the island before being transferred to smaller feeder vessels for distribution to neighbouring destinations.
INTERMAR President George Pelgrim said St. Maarten's geographic location, maritime connectivity, deepwater port facilities, experienced workforce and efficient operations give the country a competitive advantage as a transshipment hub.
“Sint Maarten excels as a transshipment hub due to its strategic geographic location, strong maritime connectivity, deepwater port facilities, experienced workforce and highly efficient operations,” Pelgrim said.
He also highlighted the port's 24-hour, year-round operation and streamlined customs processes as important factors in maintaining uninterrupted cargo flows.
According to the feature, Port St. Maarten welcomed nearly 600 cruise ships carrying approximately 1.6 million passengers in 2025, representing a 16 percent increase compared with the previous year.
Pelgrim said diversification into logistics is especially important because of St. Maarten's heavy reliance on tourism.
“Expanding industries such as logistics creates year-round employment opportunities, attracts international investment and provides meaningful career paths for local professionals,” he said.
The Los Angeles Times feature also traced INTERMAR's development from a small shipping agency founded by Pelgrim 40 years ago into one of the Northeastern Caribbean's major maritime logistics providers.
Today, the group employs approximately 150 multilingual professionals and provides cargo and cruise agency services, stevedoring, cargo handling, refrigerated and dry warehousing, third-party logistics and inland transportation. The company manages the equivalent of an average 1,500 TEUs per week through its Port St. Maarten operations.
Pelgrim said INTERMAR has also expanded heavily into e-commerce logistics and developed systems that can make packages available for delivery as soon as the day after they arrive at the port.
The company is investing in digital systems, artificial intelligence, fleet electrification and lower-emission equipment as it seeks to improve efficiency and support more sustainable logistics operations.
Pelgrim also placed strong emphasis on local human capital and the development of future maritime professionals.
“Our greatest strength has always been our people,” he said. “Many members of our team have been with us for decades and have helped build Sint Maarten's logistics ecosystem. We remain committed to training local talent and developing the next generation of maritime professionals.”
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