Business View Caribbean | April 2019

65 BUSINESS VIEW CARIBBEAN APRIL 2019 tells the backstory: “The Companies have been incorporated since the early 1990s, but the first cruise ship was received on St. Maarten in 1964. Imagine, that first cruise had to anchor in the bay, passengers were brought ashore on small boats, and the local population in their private cars showed them the island because there was barely any tourist infrastructure. Out of that was born in the Caribbean, post-Cuba, a bigger tourism industry and, for us, a cruise tour industry.” As more visits took place, cruise lines showed increased interest in St. Maarten, and the first government-owned company fully directed to cruise tourism was formed. The Group expanded in the late 1990, when the first cruise pier was AT A GLANCE PORT ST. MAARTEN GROUP OF COMPANIES WHAT: Services the cruise and cargo industries at Port St. Maarten WHERE: Phillipsburg, St. Maarten WEBSITE: www.portstmaarten.com PORT ST . MAARTEN GROUP OF COMPANI ES