25 US travel agents
expected for SMART
PHILIPSBURG--The sixth annual St. Maarten/St. Martin Annual Regional Tradeshow (SMART) will have an added dimension with the attendance of 25 travel agents from the New York area.
A special package is being offered for agents in conjunction with American Airlines for US $299, inclusive of airfare, room and some meals. The island’s representatives in the US are busy informing agents about the deal. As part of the package, the travel agents will also attend one day of SMART, which is slated for May 9-11 at The Westin St. Maarten Dawn Beach Resort and Spa.
SMART coordinator Robert Durbourq told the press at Taloula Mango’s that the tradeshow is on track with some 45 suppliers and 22 buyers already registered to attend. The majority of the suppliers (hotels and tours) from here and the surrounding islands are repeat attendees.
Windward Islands Airways International (WINAIR) is sponsoring free airfare for buyers, who are expected from Chile, Argentina, the United States and Canada, to visit the neighbouring islands taking part in the tradeshow. The buyers have to book an extra day’s stay on St. Maarten to qualify for the offer.
Aside from the hotels registered, the tourist bureaus of Anguilla, the British Virgin Islands and Montserrat are scheduled to participate in the tradeshow.
The tradeshow gives islands that use Princess Juliana International Airport as a hub and are within an hour’s flight from St. Maarten an opportunity to network and conduct business “at home” in the Caribbean, he explained.
SMART is sponsored by St. Maarten Tourist Bureau, St. Martin Office du Tourisme, Association des Hotels de St. Martin and St. Maarten Hospitality and Trade Association (SHTA).
To register or learn more about the tradeshow, contact the SHTA office at 542-0108.
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