Port calls on community to promote Philipsburg shopping

Port and stakeholders meeting about how to better promote the country’s duty-free shopping area.

 

PORT–“Promote St. Maarten, and Philipsburg in particular, as a duty-free shopping destination” is Port St. Maarten’s call to businesses, residents and visitors.

This call comes as the Port seeks to further ramp up its “#Re-discover St. Maarten” campaign, launched in December 2017, ahead of the 2018-2019 cruise season. The campaign uses social media for visitors via local opportunities for photos to share with their family and friends.

Port management has met with stakeholders, including Indian Merchants Association, Philipsburg Promotional Board, and United Tour Operators Group, several times so far for the year about concerns regarding passenger movement and traffic through the shopping district of Philipsburg. The last meeting was facilitated by Ministry of Tourism, Economic Affairs, Transport and Telecommunications (TEATT) Secretary-General Miguel de Weever.

“St. Maarten is known for its duty-free shopping and culinary offerings which are pivotal to our economic rebound. As industry partners we bridged the gap with the lines and also inquired on the possibility to have tours dropped off in Philipsburg prior to returning to the Port,” said Port management in a press statement.

Port management in discussions with the Florida-Caribbean Cruise Association (FCCA) Operations Committee shared with cruise industry partners the feedback from local stakeholders how to better promote that Philipsburg is open for business to the passengers and crews.

Port informed the Committee about the importance for vessels that visit destination St. Maarten to communicate current information and inform passengers that the shopping district is more than 80 per cent open. The cruise executives are said to be very receptive to the idea, but suggested a coupon system be established with merchants to grant tickets via land-based or water taxis to return to the shops.

“We have to think outside of the box and be innovative, and every business in Philipsburg has a role to play in order to make this happen,” the Port said. “We have key anchor points of interest in Philipsburg that we should be exploiting and promoting more. Once those positive pictures and experiences get online, more people will see and know that Philipsburg is really open for business.”

TEATT Minister Cornelius de Weever: “We need all tourism-oriented businesses to get onboard where social media marketing is concerned.” He appealed to the business community to set up their own social media tools to promote themselves and the destination rather than only depending on Government.

“This promotion is worth more than what Government can allocate to tourism promotion annually, and therefore, it is for every tourism-oriented business to grab this opportunity and utilise it to its maximum benefit of their business and the destination,” said De Weever.

Port management recently approved additional signage on its premises to promote that stores are open in Philipsburg.

Source: The Daily Herald https://www.thedailyherald.sx/islands/76199-port-calls-on-community-to-promote-philipsburg-shopping

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