News that Air Berlin and possibly also Condor are considering flights to "The Friendly Island" (see Thursday paper) is most welcome. Europe in general and Germany in particular are considered very important tourist markets internationally, primarily because of their strong economies and relative wealth.

In the last few years the favourable exchange rate for the euro to the US dollar – and subsequently the Antillean guilder – certainly can be added as an advantage. In fact, the growth of primarily Dutch tourism on the so-called ABC islands (Aruba, Bonaire and Curaçao) was aided in no small measure by this factor, because it makes a faraway vacation much more affordable and therefore in reach of a greater number of people, despite the recent financial-economic crisis.

While the European Union (EU) too has felt and is still feeling the effects of that crisis, that is less the case than in the US, currently St. Maarten's dominant market. As such, efforts to get more visitors from "the old world" make all the sense in the world.

While there are regular flights from both Paris and Amsterdam to Princess Juliana International Airport (PJIA), the lack of direct airlift from Germany remains a drawback to developing that specific market. If indeed one or more German airlines can help fill that void it could make a big difference.

On the other hand, it was also reported that the island has lost its competitive edge in Germany and the wider European market, basically for lack of funding. Luckily, the contract with the firm representing St. Maarten in the Netherlands was renewed after some recent issues, which could help push the German market as well.

More will be need to truly make an impact, however, also because the competition from different regions as well as other Caribbean destinations such as the Dominican Republic and CIBA is strong. In that sense Tourism Commissioner Frans Richardson is right on target when he says it will require the full support of all stakeholders.

One favourable aspect of Europe is also that many people also go to warm destinations for their summer vacations, while in North America that is mainly a winter thing. If the current efforts can create some traffic also during the traditionally slow months on the island to help the local tourism economy make it through this always difficult period, it would certainly be worth it.