POINTE BLANCHE:---- In an effort to maximize ongoing research at the Dr. A.C. Wathey Cruise & Cargo Facilities in Pointe Blanche, the St. Maarten Harbour Group of Companies have acquired portable hand-held units that allow research facilitators to immediately input and report the research data into an online tracking and reporting system, providing reliable and efficient results, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Mark Mingo of the St. Maarten Harbour Group of Companies announced on Sunday.
"The global community of nations is going through a very difficult time now and the impact of the financial-economic crisis will also affect St. Maarten as a cruise destination in the months to come, however, we must continue to prepare ourselves as a cruise destination for when the global economy starts to pick up again. The use of the latest technology in gathering information from our customers will allow us to continue to be at the forefront of port and cruise developments," CEO Mark Mingo pointed out.
As an ongoing measure of the success of the Port of St. Maarten, the St. Maarten Harbour Group of Companies has conducted extensive marketing research over the past couple of years. This mainly entails qualitative marketing research to gather pertinent information from cruise passengers and crew members arriving at the Port of St.Maarten. The research covers various areas of interest, including the new harbour facilities, transportation, shopping trends, general cruise passenger demographics, and also looks deeper into the international cruise trends, competitive climate and sustainability of St.Maarten as a viable cruise destination.
"With the assistance of a local independent agency, Innovative Marketing Creations (IMC), we are committed to evaluating our progress and thereby, prepare ourselves to take advantage of the opportunities that come forth" added CEO Mark Mingo for the St. Maarten Harbour Group of Companies.
During the research, a wide variety of findings were uncovered; the most impressive being the popularity of shopping among both cruise passengers and crew members, which ranked as their top activity while on the island. Reports also showed a wide-spread willingness to return time and time again. Furthermore, with the strengthening of the euro, the floodgates of European cruise passengers are opening. This signifies that despite the global economic crisis, St.Maarten's cruise industry remains poised for continuous growth.
"With the competitive climate of the cruise industry, we need to understand more about the strengths and weaknesses of our market, in order to make adjustments, as necessary, and ensure that our tourists always have an enjoyable experience. This allows us to move full speed ahead with our plans to position the Port of St.Maarten as the Monaco or Riviera of the Caribbean region," expressed Mingo.
