St Martin are launching a $1 million consumer campaign in the US. “Double the value, double the fun”. Underway developments include the development of a local airport, the restructuring of the waterfront and the opening of many prestigious shops. Additionally, all the hotel properties are marketing online.
Above; Liesa Euton-Marinaro, chairperson, addressing press at CHA Marketplace 2002
As part of this campaign, for the past year, the St. Maartin Hospitality and Trade Association has been preparing for S.M.A.R.T. which is the (St. Martin/ St. Maartin Annual Region Trade) Show. April 2002 will see the launch of this event.
S.M.A.R.T. will showcase the alluring Islands of the North Eastern Caribbean. These include St. Martins, and the surrounding Islands within an hour`s flight range. The alluring Islands of the North Eastern Caribbean Region, including Anguilla, Antigua, Barbuda, Barbados, Dominica, Guadeloupe, Monserrat, Saba, St. Barthemlemy, St. Eustatius, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Maartin and St. Marin.
This show is being launched for the following reasons:

-To bring focus to St Martin forming part of the Caribbean Island

-Many hotel properties in the area are not hotel chain related. Their properties do ot have budgets to attend the CHA Marketplace.

-Attending the tourism tradeshow in St. Maarten will be much more affordable.

-CHA is contracted to execute the appointment system, therefore all attending delegates will profit from the know how of this system, whereby meetings will be pre-scheduled.
This will be the first annual show that will bring together travel agents, tour operators, meeting planners, airline executives and neighbouring airlines.
Exclusive interview with Liesa Euton-Marinaro will be available in `Opinion` section at Internet Travel News next week.
——-