The director of St. Martin’s Tourist Board says the destination is putting the focus on the travel trade with the launch of an online training program.

“This is really an educational platform where travel agents and journalists will be able to educate themselves on the island, get great knowledge and insights, and be certified as a St. Martin Travel Agent Specialist,” Aïda Weinum shared during a briefing at the recent Caribbean Travel Marketplace in Jamaica. “This is phase 1, this summer we will be putting together initiatives and incentives to boost sales to our destination. We’re going to be rewarding travel agents that are selling the destination either by winning free trips, vouchers, gourmet baskets. That training is really important because it will be like a qualifying tool to be able to come to the destination, to come on FAM trips but also really empower sales.”

Notably, agents will be able to become certified experts, test their knowledge, discover key events and island highlights, learn what differentiates the destination and gain insights into the airlines and cruise lines visiting St. Martin as well as island to island transportation. Agents will also have access to guides and brochures, social media material and photos and videos.

“There are units where travel agents are going to be able to learn about our accommodations, history, culture, where to shop,” she added. “They will be certified St. Martin Travel Agent Specialists.”

In terms of accommodation news, The Whimsy will be a new addition when it comes online by early 2025. The property will feature 165 rooms, a beach club, restaurant, bar and rooftop.

Interestingly, Weinum also shared insights about new are routes that are being worked on to be able to push and promote connectivity to the neighbouring islands with the launch of New Air Antilles.

“Air Antilles used to fly into Guadeloupe, Martinique, St. Barts, St. Lucia, Dominica all the way down to Barbados at times,” she noted. “They filed for bankruptcy and the government of French St. Martin have decided to acquire the company… so we are about to resume shortly and it’s really important because we always talk about Caribbean connectivity and finally St. Martin will be able to have its say when it comes to Caribbean connectivity.”

In other connectivity news, the ferry station building in the Port of Saint-Martin, which was damaged during Hurricane Irma, is now fully operational.

“It’s a beautiful building, it’s right at Marigot,” she added.

In further trade initiatives, the Saint Martin / St. Maarten Annual Regional Tradeshow (SMART) made a return this past April. The event is considered the largest travel platform in the Northeastern Caribbean for tour operators, and travel agents to do business with local hoteliers, DMC’s and excursion providers as well as meet with tourist board reps.

The destination also recently held the third Fly In — a FAM trip for some 60 travel advisors to experience what St. Martin and St. Maarten have to offer. Unlike a traditional FAM trip, she says they don’t babysit the agents but give them free reign to develop their own itineraries.

“They tell us which hotels they want to see, which restaurants they want to go to, which activities they want to do. And they get to explore the neighbouring islands as well. They get to go to the Dutch side, to Anguilla, to St. Barts, to Saba and Statia (Sint Eustatius),” she says. “It’s not all orchestrated by the tourist office.”