PHILIPSBURG:--- St. Maarten is pleased to announce a significant growth in tourism, with a total of 131,322 stayover guests welcomed during the first quarter of 2024. This marks a notable 7% increase from the same period last year.
The North American market (i.e., the US and Canada) remains a cornerstone of St. Maarten's tourism, representing 53.2% of the total stayover guests in the first quarter of 2024. The specific contributions were Canada (12.2%), France (10%), and The Netherlands (5.1%). The remaining 19.5% consists of visitors from various other countries.
In terms of regional trends, the Caribbean experienced an 11% increase, while Europe saw a 1% decrease in visitor numbers during this quarter. North America recorded a 9% increase, resulting in over 7,000 additional passengers in the first quarter.
Cruise Arrivals
Cruise Industry Witnesses Promising Growth in First Quarter of 2024
The cruise industry witnessed growth in the first quarter of 2024. A total of 572,474 passengers were recorded, compared to 533,542 in the same period of 2023, representing a 7% increase, with an additional 38,932 passengers. January 2024 saw a marginal decrease of 0.22%, while February and March had growth rates of 11.71% and 13.10%, respectively.
The number of cruise calls in January 2024 was 87, a decrease of 4.40%. In February and March 2024, the number of calls was 74 and 81, respectively, resulting in increases of 12.12% and 10.96%.
