Minister says cruise calls underpin special hours for St. Martin Day, Christmas and New Year’s Day
PHILIPSBURG:--- Shops in Philipsburg have been granted an exemption to open from 6 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. on St. Martin Day, Christmas Day and New Year’s Day, Minister of TEATT Grisha Heyliger-Marten announced, reminding businesses elsewhere that normal holiday closure requirements still apply unless an existing exception covers them.
Speaking at Wednesday’s Council of Ministers press briefing, Heyliger-Marten said cruise ships were scheduled to visit on all three holidays and that the exemption would allow the capital’s retailers to benefit from passenger spending.
The dates she identified were November 11, 2026; December 25, 2026; and January 1, 2027.
“I want to also emphasize that this exemption applies specifically to shops in Philipsburg,” she said.
The minister said the three dates are official public holidays that require mandatory business closures, including standalone casinos and lottery establishments, with exceptions under the law.
She identified categories covered by existing exceptions as bars and restaurants; hotels and guesthouses; stores within hotels, airports and harbor premises; funeral parlors; gas stations; pharmacies selling medicines and medical products; and bakeries selling pastries, milk or milk products.
Those categories formed part of the minister’s explanation of the arrangements. She encouraged business owners to review the official announcement carefully and prepare accordingly.
Permission to open does not remove employers’ responsibilities to their workers, Heyliger-Marten stressed. Businesses using the exemption must comply with the applicable labor regulations.
She said the objective is to balance respect for public holidays and workers’ rights with the economic opportunities cruise tourism creates.
Heyliger-Marten was the only minister present at the briefing. She did not announce a wider exemption for shops outside Philipsburg or extend the special opening hours beyond those stated.
Alongside the operating arrangements, she called on businesses to decorate their premises and display national colors for St. Martin Day, then carry that effort into the Christmas season.
The minister said the government would contribute to the festive atmosphere within its limited financial resources, but argued that creating an attractive, welcoming environment was also a shared responsibility.
She linked the appeal to island pride, the experience of residents and visitors, and the tourism product.
The holiday exemption gives Philipsburg retailers a defined opportunity to trade during cruise calls. For businesses elsewhere, the minister’s message was to check whether their activity falls within an existing exception rather than assume that the capital’s permission applies islandwide.