– Florida-Caribbean Cruise Association (FCCA) – the commerce affiliation that represents the mutual pursuits of locations and stakeholders all through the Caribbean, Central and South America, and Mexico, together with Member Lines that function over 90 p.c of the worldwide cruising capability – is happy to announce that St. Maarten has renewed and elevated its strategic improvement settlement with FCCA for 2023. The new settlement makes St. Maarten a “Presidential Partner,” the Association’s unique, capped program restricted to a few vacation spot companions and centered on their particular objectives.
“As we move towards the future, we are excited to partner with FCCA and further develop the business and destination through various initiatives,” mentioned Alexander Gumbs, CEO of Port St. Maarten. “The package includes features such as employment opportunities for locals where FCCA will provide access to expertise in preparing and implementing a Destination Employment Strategy, Destination Site Inspections for Port Operations and Shore Excursion Executives, priority in Training Opportunities, Data & Insight on areas such economic impact, daily spending, calls and passenger volume to just cite a few of the benefits of this great partnership.”
The settlement, which is a renewal and enhance of the earlier yr’s strategic improvement partnership with FCCA, was signed by Gumbs together with Minister of Tourism, Economic Affairs, Transport and Telecommunications Honorable Arthur L. Lambriex on behalf of vacation spot St. Maarten. The signing came about onboard Virgin Voyages’ Scarlet Lady throughout an occasion that introduced collectively FCCA Platinum Members and Member Line executives to change concepts and share methods for the longer term improvement of the cruise business and locations.
Through the settlement, FCCA is not going to solely information St. Maarten’s public sector on methods to boost the product and enhance cruise calls, but additionally will collaborate with the native personal sector to create new experiences and maximize alternatives, together with the buying of native items and hiring of residents.
Additionally, the settlement will make the most of FCCA’s cruise govt committees, together with sub-committees centered on employment and buying, for a sequence of conferences and web site visits centered on St. Maarten’s targets.
St. Maarten will even have open entry to the FCCA Executive Committee, comprised of Presidents and above of FCCA Member Lines, together with their efforts to effectuate the settlement’s targets and the vacation spot’s objectives.
Some of the opposite options of the strategic partnership embody a deal with changing cruise friends to stay-over guests, selling summer time cruising, participating journey brokers, creating client demand and growing a vacation spot service wants evaluation that can element strengths, alternatives and desires.
“St. Maarten has been a longtime partner of FCCA and the cruise industry, from putting their faith in us after the tragic Hurricanes Irma and Maria, to helping the industry rebound from COVID-19 by hosting laid-up ships and working with us to return cruising – all the while being a top partner of FCCA,” mentioned Michele Paige, CEO of FCCA. “We are honored by St. Maarten’s continued belief in us and our ability to help the destination and its citizens benefit from cruise tourism.”
