POINT BLANCHE:--- Saturday, September 27 marks World Tourism Day (WTD). Port St. Maarten Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Mark Mingo would like to congratulate all those working in the tourism sector and adds that their work on a daily basis in serving the visitors to the country is very much appreciated.
The theme for 2014 WTD is "Tourism & Community Development." The theme selected is for the tourism sectors around the globe to place emphasis and focus on the ability of tourism to empower people and provide them with the skills to achieve change in their local communities.
"Tourism, whether it's land-based or cruise, its impact is widely and deeply felt by everybody in this country. Our entire economy revolves around tourism. Port St. Maarten alone accounts for one third of our country's economy. When there are no tourists, this is felt throughout the island.
"What keeps visitors coming back is the hospitality that they receive from everybody working in the sector. Every business owner, manager, supervisor and CEO, must take time out on Saturday to say thank you, because without the hard work and dedication by employees and staff on a daily basis, we would be nowhere.
"Port St. Maarten has made a tremendous contribution to the development of the community with respect to the various projects that were built over the years in the different communities. This role in the end resulted in the improvement of the tourism product but also in the improvement in the quality of life of the people in various districts.
"We must remain focused. Port St. Maarten is celebrating 50-years of cruise this year. We are also in the stage of reinventing cruise St. Maarten. We need to continue with all hands on deck in order to keep moving our country forward. On the occasion of WTD, congratulations to all, happy World Tourism Day," Port St. Maarten CEO Mark Mingo said on Friday.
