St. Maarten Tourism Bureau

What St. Maarten Tourism Bureau does

The St. Maarten Tourism Bureau (STB) is the statutory destination marketing organization for Sint Maarten (Dutch side of the island), operating as a government department within the Ministry of Tourism, Economic Affairs, Transport and Telecommunication. It is tasked with promoting the island internationally, advising on tourism policy, and creating local awareness of tourism's economic role. STB does not generate commercial revenue; it is funded through government appropriations and generates no disclosed P&L.

Its operational core is vacationstmaarten.com, a destination content and visitor-services platform built on Simpleview Inc. technology infrastructure. The platform integrates a Places to Stay directory, Things to Do & Attractions guide, Restaurants directory, Events calendar, Wedding and Group/MICE sub-products, Yachting & Marina services, and the Electronic Health Authorization System (EHAS) travel entry portal. The site is delivered in English, Dutch, French, Spanish, and Portuguese. Distribution beyond digital includes two physical visitor information booths at the Princess Juliana International Airport arrivals area and at Captain Hodge's Wharf cruise port, supplemented by PR agency partners Diamond PR (US) and Hopscotch PR (Netherlands, Belgium, Germany). Marquee partnerships anchor event-driven demand via the Heineken Regatta, SXM Festival, and Carnival. Headcount is approximately five, with leadership held by Director of Tourism May-Ling Chun.

STB's business model is non-commercial by design: it is a public-sector tourism promoter whose "customers" are the broader tourism value chain (visitors, accommodation providers, restaurants, event organizers, and the island's population that benefits from tourism-related economic activity). Its KPIs are visitor arrivals, accommodation occupancy proxies, and destination awareness rather than revenue or margin. Competitive advantages are statutory monopoly over the official destination-marketing designation, exclusive physical access at primary arrival nodes, and the brandable "Friendly Island" identity tied to the island's unique dual-nation geography.

Name

St. Maarten Tourism Bureau

Legal name

St. Maarten Tourism Bureau

Website

https://vacationstmaarten.com

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The St. Maarten Tourism Bureau is the statutory government destination marketing organization for Sint Maarten, promoting the island internationally through vacationstmaarten.com, physical visitor booths at airport and cruise port, and PR agency partners, serving tourists, accommodation providers, and the local tourism economy.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Philipsburg

HQ country

Netherlands

HQ region

Europe

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Marketing or Sales, Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Government Tourism Promotion: STB is a department within the Ministry of Tourism, Economic Affairs, Transport and Telecommunication of the Government of St. Maarten. It is tasked with promoting the island and overseeing tourism development, funded by government resources rather than commercial revenue generation.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

St. Maarten Tourism Bureau (STB) is a government department that promotes the island of Sint Maarten as a Caribbean tourism destination. It operates the official destination website vacationstmaarten.com, providing visitor-facing information on accommodations, activities, dining, events, and travel entry requirements, while running awareness campaigns for residents and conducting familiarization trips for travel agents and media.

Product overview

The St. Maarten Tourism Bureau operates a comprehensive destination marketing platform centered around vacationstmaarten.com, serving as the official tourism authority for Sint Maarten. The website functions as an integrated visitor services platform combining a Places to Stay Directory, Things to Do & Attractions Guide, Restaurant Directory, and Events Calendar with a Digital Embarkation/Disembarkation Entry Form for travel requirements. Supporting sub-products include multi-language site versions (Dutch, French, Spanish, Portuguese), Wedding Planning Services, Group & Meeting Planning, Yachting & Marina Services, a Visitor Guide with itineraries, and a Blog featuring editorial travel content. The platform is built and hosted by Simpleview Inc. (a destination marketing technology provider), utilizing their content management and image asset systems.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Official Destination Website (vacationstmaarten.com) The official destination marketing website for St. Maarten, providing comprehensive visitor information including accommodations, attractions, dining, events, transportation, and travel entry requirements for the island. Built and hosted on the Simpleview platform.
• Digital Embarkation/Disembarkation Entry Form (EHAS) Online travel entry requirement form that visitors must complete prior to arriving in St. Maarten, part of the Electronic Health Authorization System (EHAS).
• Places to Stay Directory Comprehensive accommodation listing service featuring hotels, resorts, vacation rentals, bed and breakfasts, guesthouses, and timeshares throughout St. Maarten.
• Things to Do & Attractions Guide Activity and attraction discovery platform covering beaches, water sports, outdoor adventures, tours, shopping, nightlife, wellness, and island hopping experiences.
• Restaurant Directory Curated dining guide featuring local cuisine, international restaurants, beachfront dining, and specialty options across both the Dutch and French sides of the island.
• Events Calendar Event listing platform featuring St. Maarten Carnival, Heineken Regatta, SXM Festival, and other cultural celebrations including submission capabilities for event organizers.
• Wedding Planning Services Wedding and honeymoon planning resources including venue listings, planner directories, and destination wedding guidance.
• Group & Meeting Planning Group travel coordination services including venue recommendations, destination management company referrals, and accommodation services for large parties.
• Yachting & Marina Services Yachting destination information including marina listings, yacht agents, VIP concierge services, and charter information.
• Media Resource Center Press kit, story ideas, destination imagery, press releases, and media request services for journalists and content creators.
• Friendly Island Blog Editorial content covering romance, food, accommodation, LGBTQ+ travel, and travel tips featuring guest authors.
• Accommodation Booking Portal (Check Rates) Direct booking link (vacationstmaarten.bookdirect.net) connecting visitors to island accommodation reservations.

Quantifiable outcome

• August 2021 airport arrivals from US exceeded 2019 pre-pandemic levels by 26%
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and flagship.

• Diamond Public RelationscoreGTM or Marketing PartnerUS-based PR agency representing St. Maarten Tourism Bureau for media relations and press coverage. Contact: [email protected]
• Hopscotch Public RelationscoreGTM or Marketing PartnerEuropean PR agency handling media relations for St. Maarten in Netherlands, Belgium, and Germany markets. Contact: [email protected]
• Ministry of Tourism, Economic Affairs, Transport and TelecommunicationflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerSTB operates as a department within this government ministry, tasked with promoting tourism and advising on tourism-related matters for St. Maarten

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Bonaire Tourism Corporation: Tourism authority for the small Dutch Caribbean island of Bonaire — the closest scale, governance, and audience peer, with a comparable mandate of promoting a small-island destination to international visitors, primarily from North America and Europe.
• Bahamas Ministry of Tourism: Government-led DMO for a Caribbean island nation, responsible for international tourism promotion, signature events, and PR across US/European markets. Highly comparable in mandate, governance structure, and channel mix.
• Visit Barbados: National tourism organization for a Caribbean island, focused on destination marketing, content publishing, event promotion, and FAM trips for travel agents. Direct functional overlap in activities, channels, and customer segments.
• Cayman Islands Department of Tourism: Government-run DMO for a small Caribbean island territory, focused on high-end leisure tourism marketing, digital content, and international PR. Comparable in mandate, target segments, and digital-first execution.
• Discover Puerto Rico: DMO for a US territory in the Caribbean operating with similar functions: destination website, content/editorial, FAM trips, PR agencies, events, and LGBTQ+ travel positioning. Strong peer given overlapping target markets in North America.
• Jamaica Tourist Board: Government-affiliated DMO for a Caribbean island destination running international promotional campaigns, content marketing, and travel trade programs. Comparable in mission, scale, and multi-market outreach approach.
• Aruba Tourism Authority: Caribbean island destination marketing organization (DMO) with the same mandate: promoting a single island destination to international visitors, operating a multi-language website, and running visitor centers at airports/ports. Closest functional peer given similar scale, geography, and Dutch-Caribbean heritage.
• USVI Division of Tourism: US Virgin Islands tourism promotion body, comparable in being a small-island Caribbean DMO with limited staff, heavy US market focus, and similar digital platform stack. Direct peer in scale and operational structure.

Broad incumbents

• Tourism New Zealand: Established national tourism board with a much larger budget and global reach. Comparable in DMO mandate, multi-channel digital platform, FAM trip program, and PR-led international marketing, but operating at a different scale and geography.

Others

• Simpleview Inc. Technology vendor that powers STB's website, CMS, and digital assets. Included as an ecosystem/dependency peer rather than a competitor — the relationship is a key risk factor and structural feature of STB's operations.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/VacationStMaarten
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/st-maarten-tourism-bureau

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about St. Maarten Tourism Bureau