ST. MAARTEN SEES GAINS FROM CANADA

St. Maarten continues to be popular with Canadians with numbers showing a 12.1% increase in Canadian passenger traffic during the first six months of 2013 compared to the same period in 2012. The island is also the fastest growing Caribbean destination, according to a study done by Expedia. The figures show that St. Maarten has held its own despite the economic and financial challenges faced by nations around the globe. Compared to 297,179 arrivals from January – June 2012, the Princess Juliana International Airport saw an increase to 300,092 arrivals during the first half of 2013. Of the total visitors from the first half of 2013, 56.5% were from North America while Canadian visitor traffic increased by 12.1% from 24,513 to 27,480 in the same time period.

“St. Maarten is an island that is as unique as it is beautiful. These statistics reinforce that our island is still a preferred destination of choice for global travellers,” said Edward Dest, interim director of tourism for the St. Maarten Tourist Bureau. “We will continue to work diligently to promote our Caribbean paradise.” (http://www.VacationStMaarten.com)