~Congratulates bureau staff for execution ~
PHILIPSBURG:--- The crucial role that MP Roland Brison played in securing funding through a Naf 5 million budget amendment that he initiated is further highlighted as a significant milestone in the revitalization of St. Maarten's tourism industry with the opening of the new headquarters of the St. Maarten Tourist Bureau on December 1, 2023. A new national brand will be unveiled in conjunction with the inauguration.
MP Brison’s groundbreaking amendment in the 2023 budget, never before done for the tourism sector, earmarked over 5 million guilders for capital expenditures and investments, emphasizing the need for rejuvenation in the tourism sector. While the MP acknowledged his role in bringing the amendment, he expressed how proud he was that the personnel of the Tourist Bureau, where he was Tourism Director for a time, managed to execute and bring the project to fruition.
As part of this amendment, Brison highlighted the urgency of rebranding the St. Maarten product, recognizing the importance of maintaining a competitive edge on the Caribbean tourism landscape. “The tourism office's new headquarters and the impending brand reveal have already generated excitement among cruise, airline, and general tourism stakeholders,” MP Brison said. “This finally re-focuses our commitment to taking tourism seriously, attracting more airlines to our destination and positioning St. Maarten as a competitive player in the region."
Acknowledging that tourism constitutes 90% of the country’s GDP, Brison emphasized the critical role tourism plays in employment and investment, making it the primary industry for St. Maarten. As the former Tourism Director of St. Maarten, he expressed his understanding of the industry's implications for job creation and opportunities for the local workforce.
Brison congratulated the dedicated, hard-working men and women of the St. Maarten Tourist Bureau, commending their continuous efforts to promote the destination. He expressed pride in his role as a Member of Parliament in providing the necessary tools for tourism personnel, through budget amendments, to enhance the bureau's capabilities.
The unveiling ceremony on December 1st will feature a presentation by the MP underscoring his instrumental role in ensuring robust tourism budgets in the years ahead for the effective marketing of St. Maarten. Brison anticipates further discussions during upcoming budget sessions where he will continue to focus on the importance of investing in tourism.
He said no other Members of Parliament outside, of the United People's Party, have shown the level of attention to the tourism budget that has been lacking for so long, and none other than the UP have given attention to the cries of the stakeholders that the budgets of St. Maarten compared to competing destinations such as Jamaica, Aruba and the Dominican Republic, pales in comparison to those countries. “Those concerns and cries have not gone unnoticed by the United People's Party,” he said, emphasizing the party's dedication to comprehensive investments in tourism, encompassing the re-launch of the brand and strategic infrastructural improvements.
“Actions such as planting trees, and construction of new and proper restroom facilities at Mullet Bay and other areas all play a role in improving our product. These are all investments in our tourism product,” the MP said. With a working legacy of having brought the most amendments to Parliament as a legislator, MP Brison said that the work is just beginning and he will continue to focus on enhancing St. Maarten’s tourism even if those initiatives bear fruit in the mid-to-long term.
