POINTE BLANCHE:--- Port St. Maarten will be participating in the 47th edition of the Dutch Vakantie Beurs Utrecht (Tourism and Leisure Fair), considered the trade show for the travel industry. The Vakantie Beurs will be held from January 11-15, 2017 at the Convention Center in the Dutch city of Utrecht.
Destination St. Maarten has been absent from the aforementioned trade show for several years resulting in a low brand awareness of the country in the Dutch market.
Port St. Maarten is inviting travel agents/tour operators to be part of the ports Vakantie Beurs booth where they get the opportunity to promote the destination and also create awareness of cruise travel to the island. Interested travel professionals can email the port at: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Travel agents/Tour operators are essential in creating travel experiences as they can engage with clients and help them plan that perfect stay-over or cruise. Vakantie Beurs Utrecht is the perfect opportunity to connect the thousands of travelers that visit the tourism and leisure fair every January with a vacation experience, and travel agents are the ambassadors.
Vakantie Beurs Utrecht caters to business to business and business to consumers. More Dutch travelers are becoming aware of cruises, and the St. Maarten cruise brand is the largest and most developed cruise port in the Dutch Kingdom.
In 2016, approximately 121,593 visited the Vakantie Beurs. Visitors were interested in receiving information about Europe (68 percent), the Netherlands (24), and destinations outside Europe (61).
The top five destinations in Europe in 2016 were Spain (36 percent), Italy (35), France (30), Germany and Portugal (25), Austria and Switzerland (21).
This expo fits into the port’s destination strategy to infiltrate the European Union tourist market. Port St. Maarten is moving full speed ahead in establishing itself as a home port destination in the northeastern Caribbean catering to small and medium size vessels as well as the high-end market of the luxury cruise sector. The home porting business will translate into a significant positive impact on the country’s economy with spinoffs to the majority of sectors.
“The destination is a diversity of experiences for the traveler. In 2017 we want to make an impact just like we did in January 2016 when Port St. Maarten made its first debut at the tourism and leisure fair. In 2016 at the fair, a lot of patrons showed interests in the destination.
“We have to continue to create a demand for the destination by sharing information, and promoting what we have to offer in this part of the Kingdom when compared to continental Europe. It is essential for the country to have a presence at such events in order to keep the island profiled in the tourism and travel market where there are hundreds of competitors.
“Stayover tourism is the main component of the country’s tourism industry and is linked to Port St. Maarten. Without stayover visitors, things will be different. It is up to us to sustain this and continue to grow and therefore that is why as a port we are investing in our future by attending this expo and are inviting travel agents/tour operators to come onboard as we promote our destination experiences,” Port St. Maarten Management pointed out.
For information about Vakantie Beurs Utrecht, you can visit: http://www.vakantiebeurs.nl/nl-NL/Bezoeker.aspx