We live in an Information Age where reliable, up-to-date,
factual information is the key to decision-making, whether
it be in government, in the private sector, or at the
personal level. At Your Service, the new quarterly
electronic newsletter of the St. Maarten Tourist Bureau,
meets that demand for authoritative information about
developments on the island. It is a tool, which I am
confident, all readers will find useful.
A lot indeed has been happening on our Friendly Island,
a lot of improvements in virtually every area, which
will hopefully make visiting St. Maarten one of the
most pleasant choices you would ever make. Joining our
state-of-the-art Dr. A. C. Wathey Cruise and Cargo Facility
is the ultra-modern new terminal building at the Princess
Juliana International Airport. We are not only investing
in the gateways to our island, but also in the beautification
of the capital of St. Maarten, Philipsburg, all in an
attempt to improve the quality of life of our citizens
and contribute to a more positive tourist experience.
The St. Maarten island government, as well as all the
stakeholders in our industry, is committed to making
your visit a most memorable experience; one which you
would proudly talk about for a long time. We not only
look forward to you spending your vacation with us,
but also hope you would recommend our island to others.
Welcome to this new source of information about our
island, and we promise we would do all within our power
to make your visit an enjoyable one.
Welcome. At Your Service is the electronic
newsletter of the St. Maarten Tourist Bureau, a quarterly
publication meant for visitors and industry “owners”
to keep abreast of developments in St. Maarten, as well
as other relevant information.
In this edition, we focus on the hotel sector –
the renovation works at Great Bay Beach Hotel, the expansion
of Pelican Resort, the takeover of L’Habitation
by Radisson and plans for Marriott Renaissance to establish
a property at Gibbs Bay. These developments would undoubtedly
have a significant impact on the industry.
The island is undergoing a lot of changes, all of which
cannot be included at the same time in a newsletter
like this. However, At Your Service will continue to
inform you about all of them in due course.
We welcome suggestions for improvement from our readers,
as well as questions that you may wish answered with
factual information. We encourage you to use this newsletter
as much as possible and tell your friends and families
about it.
Thank you for choosing to visit us and as always, we
remain at your service.
Contact Information
St. Maarten Tourist Bureau
Vineyard Office Park
WG Buncamper Road 33
Philipsburg, St. Maarten • T:
(599) 542-2337 • F: (599) 542-2734
• E: info@st-maarten.com
• W:
Erica Fortuno: Our
face in the US
Her
mission is not strictly speaking a designated diplomatic
one, but the nature of Erica Fortuno, Marketing Manager
of the NY office of the St. Maarten Tourist Bureau is
essentially and maybe naturally that of an envoy. Chances
are, if you are in the US and you need any information
about the Friendly Island, or any assistance of any
kind regarding a proposed visit to St. Maarten/St. Martin,
the intelligent, beautiful and friendly face of Ms.
Fortuno is what you would see first.
A graduate of Pace University, New York, where she obtained
an MBA in Marketing, Ms. Fortuno’s primary focus
is, indeed, to market the whole destination in the US.
In fact, she is the first manager for the entire island
of St. Maarten – St. Martin, something the Press,
members of the distribution mix and owners have been
requesting for decades. She is the true embodiment of
the combined marketing and promoting efforts of the
two halves of the island.
Her duties include: acting as a liaison between both
the Office du Tourisme in the North and the St. Maarten
Tourist Bureau in the South, and managing all sales;
public and marketing activities executed by RFCP - the
island’s newly acquired Advertising and PR firm
- in the US Market; planning, coordinating, and attending
various trade shows to promote the island as well as
planning and coordinating various sales initiatives
and actions.
Ms. Fortuno heads a staff of three at the New York office.
On the average, the office attends to some 260 inquiries
per month, ranging from those seeking information about
visas, hotels, etc. to weddings. “So far, we have
not had anyone call back or complain about the information
they’ve received,” she says.
Young, energetic, dedicated, and hardworking, she epitomizes
the spirit of friendliness so characteristic of the
island. Her organizational skills, and her drive to
succeed, make her indeed a worthy ambassador of our
tourism sector.
Ms. Fortuno
can be reached at:
Toll Free: 800-786-2278 • Phone: 212-953-2084
• Fax: 212-953-2145
General E-mail: info@st-maarten.com • Direct E-mail:
efortuno@st-maarten.com
Laugh
‘till your belly burst’
Laughter,
they say, is the best medicine, especially in a world
full of stress. As a Caribbean people, laughter comes
to us naturally: it is a cultural trait. Laugh Till
Your Belly Burst is one of those events designed to
administer this natural medicine to all of us, while
adding to the variety of cultural activities with a
mass appeal both for residents and visitors alike.
The third edition of Laugh Till Your Belly Burst features
the very funny, energetic, warm and versatile Cocoa
Brown from the US, as well as veteran Tommy Joseph (Trinidad
& Tobago), and Blakka (Jamaica). It is a spicy comedy
mix sure to tickle the toughest bones anywhere.
As sponsors of this event, the St. Maarten Tourist Bureau
commends the efforts of the organizers and looks forward
to it becoming a major attraction, bringing together
the best comedy talents from the United States and the
Caribbean and offering first class entertainment in
a wholesome manner.
Great Bay Hotel spruced up for winter season
The legendary Great
Bay Beach Resort, located on the island's longest stretch
of beach, used the shoulder season month of September
to further enhance its facilities and gear up for what
General Manager Renato Moretto expects to be a wonderful
winter season!
We like to call it fall housekeeping, said Moretto,
who disclosed that the resort has undergone improvements
both in the front and back of the house. The select
upgrades include:
New fire prevention
system consisting of in-room hard wired smoke detectors,
floor pull stations and an integrated fire control
panel at the front desk
Significant
upgrade to air conditioning and hot water system
New, anti-slip
tiled pool deck
Massive investment
in completely refurbishing the resort's main kitchen
New Fidelio
front-office reservations system
Overall cosmetic
upgrade throughout the resort
The resort features 257 rooms and suites, the Golden Casino, three swimming pools, three restaurants and four bars. It also boasts of the Vitality Oasis Health Club and Spa, floodlit tennis court, meeting facilities, internet center, water sports and nightly entertainment. For reservations and group sales, call 1-800-223-0757 or the resort directly at +599-542-2446 or visit www.greatbaybeachresort.com.
Her
mission is not strictly speaking a designated diplomatic
one, but the nature of Erica Fortuno, Marketing Manager
of the NY office of the St. Maarten Tourist Bureau is
essentially and maybe naturally that of an envoy. Chances
are, if you are in the US and you need any information
about the Friendly Island, or any assistance of any
kind regarding a proposed visit to St. Maarten/St. Martin,
the intelligent, beautiful and friendly face of Ms.
Fortuno is what you would see first.
Laughter,
they say, is the best medicine, especially in a world
full of stress. As a Caribbean people, laughter comes
to us naturally: it is a cultural trait. Laugh Till
Your Belly Burst is one of those events designed to
administer this natural medicine to all of us, while
adding to the variety of cultural activities with a
mass appeal both for residents and visitors alike.