PHILIPSBURG:--- Well-known Dutch television personality, singer, and entertainer is the newest addition to the St. Maarten Tourism Department destination promotion strategy.
Patty Brard has been an entertainer for four decades and will be promoting the destination to the Dutch-European market.
In December 2018, Patty Brard won "Het Perfect Plaatje" in which several well-known Dutch nationals with a passion for photography competed.
Her efforts to further promote St. Maarten using her influence and her social media following is an added value to the destination said Minister of Tourism, Economic Affairs, Transport & Telecommunication (TEATT) the Honourable Stuart Johnson.
"We look forward to the exposure that the destination will receive from entertainer and broadcaster Patty Brard. Social media brings people together just like tourism and through this medium Brard will be able to share her destination experience and profile the country's most significant cultural event Carnival which we are currently celebrating."
“Considering that statistically, most travellers use the world-wide-web to get travel deals, destination information, reviews etc. before they make a travel decision, maximizing our exposure through the use of celebrities brings added value.
"This is one of the strategic approaches that the Tourism Bureau has embarked upon to promote the destination," Johnson said on Sunday.
With a trained eye, Brard will now photograph the most beautiful places on the island to share them with her more than 180,000 Instagram followers - and take them on a journey as she explores the various cultural and historical landmarks on the Dutch and the French side.
Additionally, Brard will present her experience and highlight St. Maarten's 50th-anniversary carnival celebrations based on visits to the Festival Village and from sampling various local dishes.
St. Maarten Tourism Bureau Director May-Ling Chun said having Patty Brard share her experiences of St. Maarten through her social network will aid in promoting the destination's history and culture.
She said this will "bring a positive awareness about the improvements in the destination post-Irma, as we continue to rebuild and spread the message that St. Maarten is open for business.”
