Business View Caribbean | April 2019

57 BUSINESS VIEW CARIBBEAN APRIL 2019 since I came in office, we’ve been able to support several initiatives including a gospel concert, and the three-day Heineken Regatta. This year will be its 40th anniversary. We contributed heavily to Carnival celebrations – a three-week cultural manifestation. We also supported the SXM Festival of electronic music, dubbed as an anti-Fire Festival. Everything the Fire Festival should have been, you can experience here. It’s an awesome opportunity for the destination of St. Maarten and a new market we’re catering for. That went well. “Coming up, we’re sponsoring the PAMAC (Platinum Associate Membership Advisory Council) Cruise Summit event for cruise executives. We’re hosting a Gaming Control Board forum to regulate the gaming industry on St. Maarten, and there is an Air and Boat Show in June. What we have done is push the tourist season, which would generally be done right after Carnival celebrations in March and April, into the end of June. This year’s season has gone right from December to June, due to all the extra attractions and conferences and events we’ve added.” ST . MAARTEN MINI STRY OF TOUR I SM, ECONOMI C AFFA I RS , TRAFF I C , AND TELECOMMUNI CAT ION