Business View Caribbean - Sept. / Oct. 2014

58 %XVLQHVV 9LHZ ‡ &DULEEHDQ ² 6HSWHPEHU ‡ 2FWREHU 6W 0DDUWHQ Cargo vessels can also be provided with fuel and water services. And while its roots stretch back all those years, the complex illustrates its modern focus as one of the first worldwide ports to utilize green energy in the form of six wind turbines, utilization of solar power in segments, electric golf carts and a dedicated investment in the last two years on a retrofitting project that will bring buildings up to LEED-certification standards. 6W 0DDUWHQ 6HSWHPEHU ‡ 2FWREHU ² &DULEEHDQ ‡ %XVLQHVV 9LHZ Its operators, St. Maarten Harbour Group of Companies, invest not only in the port itself, but also its surrounding community – a commitment evidenced by a $50 million project to build a causeway bridge over an adjacent lagoon to alleviate traffic issues, and additional monies earmarked for upgrade of the surrounding area’s main street. The Curacao Chronicle reported that the port welcomed nearly 1.8 million cruise passengers in 2013 – a record for the complex and a 2 percent rise from 2012. Its ship calls also rose from 622 to 631, and the Florida Caribbean Cruise Association claimed the total cruise tourism expenditures in St. Maarten for 2011-12 were $356.2 million, placing it second among the region’s 21 participant destinations. Only the Bahamas ($393.8 million) surpassed St. Maarten’s total, while the top five was rounded out by the United States Virgin Islands ($339.8 million), Puerto Rico ($186.6 million) and the Cayman Islands ($157.7 million).