Philipsburg- A group of nine Brazilian journalists are currently on a week-long familiarization tour of the island. Drawn mainly from the Sao Paulo area, the group which consists of five female and four male journalists, arrived St. Maarten late Saturday aboard a CVC Charter flight. They went on an island tour Sunday that took them to Marigot, the Butterfly Farm, Orient Beach and Philipsburg with dinner at Los Gauchos.In accord with the festive season, the journalists are being dined and wined and taken around to get a true feel of the destination, with an array of activities that include participation in the 12-Metre Regatta, a kayak tour, snorkeling and scuba diving expeditions and a dinner show at Cheri's Café.
"The idea is to allow the Brazilian journalists to experience for themselves the variety the island offers - from fine dining to water sports; from bargain shopping to our unique night life," Edward Dest of the St. Maarten Tourist Bureau, hosts of the group, said.
"Brazil is by far our largest market in Latin America and it has been showing quite encouraging growth, with an increase of 2.6% in arrivals in the last year, hence we expect this fam tour for journalists of important trade magazines and daily newspapers to generate more positive coverage and greater exposure for St. Maarten in Brazil," Dest added.
The journalists, he went on, have so far been having a swell time on the island, and will spend Christmas Day on the beach. They depart for Brazil on Saturday.
