PHILIPSBURG–Effective promotion for the destination in the Canadian market, in partnership with Sunwing Vacations, kicked off in early July thanks to a new multi-year agreement between Sunwing Airlines and the Government of St. Maarten. Minister of Tourism and Economic Affairs Mellissa Arrindell-Doncher had announced the agreement on April 17.
It is a matching cooperative marketing plan in which Sunwing will match the US $325,000 committed by Sint Maarten and spread over 2017 and 2018 (a period of 18 months) paid in increments. Government is contributing over two years. The agreement will also maintain Sunwing’s four weekly flights out of the Canadian market, St. Maarten’s fastest growing source market.
“The funds would have been spent to do marketing in the Canadian market in any case,” St. Maarten Tourist Bureau head Rolando Brison said on Tuesday. “By combining our marketing efforts dollar-for-dollar with Sunwing, we get a much more effective way to not only publicise the island, but actually get sales, to get people to decide to book flights to St. Maarten. This is a very effective way to market the destination in our fastest-growing market.”
The marketing initiatives for the programme will include, but are not limited to a full-page ad in the Sunwing Tropical Sun Brochure 2017 and 2018; E-Commerce; trade advertising in English and French; Sunwing social media platforms, including Google display ads online and television; on-air segment two minutes; Weather Box advertising; leader-board and big box run of site ads; and big box run of site ads and Sunwing Travel Group Microsite; online trade in Sirev and Galileo; printed trade publications in Travel Week and Travel Courier; outdoor platforms in Horizon package and Union stations; newspaper ads in the Toronto Star; Canada Radio ads in Toronto and Montreal, Quebec; online trade French Canada and trade newsletters French Canada – Jaimonoyage.ca; and outdoor bus kings posters in Montreal Island and Montreal Downtown Super-board.
Under the new agreement, parties will build towards re-instating a fifth flight to the island. Sunwing has a capacity of 189 seats to St. Maarten year-round from Toronto, from Montreal during the summer and adds a flight from Quebec City during the winter.
The island welcomed 44,329 stay-over visitors from the Canadian market in 2015 and 57,000 in 2016. These amounts account for 28 per cent increase year-over-year within the Canadian market.
Canada has been a primary source market for St. Maarten for many years now. The Canadian market is traditionally a charter-driven destination to the Caribbean region. The charter flights touch down in St. Maarten on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays or Sundays. Most Canadians travel to the region for a one-week all-inclusive vacation to get away from their bitter freezing-cold winters.
Source: The Daily Herald https://www.thedailyherald.sx/islands/67968-vital-marketing-for-island-via-sunwing-vacations-in-place
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