SABA:--- Saba participated in the 16th edition of the St. Maarten / St. Martin Annual Regional Tradeshow (SMART). The event, which brought together Tour Operators, Travel Agents, Travel Writers, and Event Planners from across the US, Canada, Europe, Latin America, and the Caribbean, served as a pivotal platform for Saba to showcase its unique offerings and the opportunity for valuable connections within the tourism industry.
Throughout the event, Saba had the opportunity to engage in a series of appointments to promote the island's activities, inform attendees of its diverse range of experiences, and foster networking opportunities with new and existing tour operators and travel agents. Particularly noteworthy was the emphasis on highlighting Saba's potential for island hopping experiences, an area that new tour operators could overlook. The Tourist Bureau was represented by Stephanie Peterson & Malinda Hassell.
Furthermore, Saba had the privilege of meeting with representatives from St. Martin and St. Maarten tourism boards, WinAir, and other regional island tourism boards to explore potential collaborations and discuss opportunities.
Saba also hosted ABC Travel and Bay Travel from the Netherlands after the event, both tour operators who actively promote and sell Saba. This provided an invaluable opportunity to acquire updates on the properties they sell and the island's activities and culinary aspects. Both expressed that they were impressed by the product offering and would highly recommend that clients book Saba. Both tour operators also sell an SSS Island Hopping package which is gaining much interest.
Reflecting on the event, Malinda Hassell, Director of Tourism for Saba, commented, "The SMART tradeshow serves as a platform for connecting regional islands with trade partners from diverse regions. As St. Maarten serves as our main hub, this event offers an ideal platform for meaningful discussions on sales, training, collaborations, and product offerings. We extend our heartfelt congratulations to the SMART organizers for a successful event."