ST. MAARTEN (January 10, 2011) – On the heels of a hugely successful launch, Arts in the Plaza will return to St. Maarten on Wednesday, January 26, 2011 for the next installment celebrating the visual, performing and musical arts from St Martin/St Maarten’s avant-garde arts scene.

More than 600 locals and visitors to the island gathered for the inaugural festival event at Porto Cupecoy on December 22, 2010. The lineup of performers and artists for the January festival will be announced as the date approaches. Arts in the Plaza will continue into 2011 with new performances and exhibits each month.

For beach lovers who do not have a lot of time on their hands or want an activity that does not take up too much time, from all the excitement in their trip, the perfect getaway activity can be found in Philipsburg, St. Maarten. In that place you can be taken to Orient beach where you can take your afternoon beach break away from all the busy, thrill seeking tourists. There are cushions and lounging chairs and leave you to yourselves to relax on the beautiful beach. If you decide to take this break, bring something that will help you pass the afternoon away. Maybe some portable music to set the mood or a few snacks to keep yourself satisfied. When it comes to looking for things a beach bum on a tight schedule can do then there is obviously so much that St Maarten has to offer. So, even if you do not have a full day to take part in longer activities, there are always other things that can still make for an exciting and unforgettable vacation.

There can be few events in the world that match St. Maarten Heineken Regatta’s unique cocktail of fun and serious racing. Under the leadership of Robbie Ferron – Sint Maarten Yacht Club commodore – who set up the regatta 30 years ago, this Caribbean classic continues to go from strength to strength and, if the positive buzz on the street is anything to go by, next year’s event is going to reach record levels.

With some of the world’s most talented sailors including the likes of America’s Cup legends Peter Isler, Peter Holmberg, Gavin Brady, round the world sailors Kenny Read, Wouter Verbraak, Olympic/America’s Cup skipper Andy Beadsworth, and Dutch double Europe Olympic silver medallist Margriet Matthijsse, among the many high profile sailors competing here this week, it’s not surprising this event is fast becoming a Mecca for seriously fun winter racing.

As well as the big names racing on the latest, powerful ultra-light racing machines such as Irvine Laidlaw’s Wally 82 Highland Fling, Tom and Dotty Hill’s brand-new stunning-looking custom Reichel/Pugh 75, Titan 15, George David’s Reichel/Pugh 90 Rambler, and a healthy mix of big Swans, Farrs and custom builds, yachts in the 30ft-40ft range make up the majority of the fleet including a bumper 99-strong Bareboat charter fleet.

While fun and partying contribute hugely to Caribbean regatta success, it’s what happens behind the scenes and on the water that really counts. St. Maarten Heineken Regatta race team run a good balance of coastal and round-the buoys races, and offer a highly efficient results system, which are the other key factors that make a good event, great.

The final race of the three-day St. Maarten Heineken Regatta this morning may have lacked one special Caribbean ingredient – sun – but there was certainly no shortage of action for the 240-boat fleet in the extremely lively northerly breeze which allowed the big raunchy yachts the opportunity to really strut their stuff on the 27nm race from Marigot Bay back to Sint Maarten Yacht Club.

Read more …….

Since December 1st 2009, there is a possibility to do Shopping and get different services ( big supermarket, ATM machine, fitness, change point, restaurant, …) at the Commercial Area in Grand Case (details on the map).

Depuis le 1er décembre 2009 il vous est maintenant possible de faire vos courses dans la nouvelle zone industrielle de Grand Case (Supermarché, distributeur de billets, point change, restaurant, salle de sport, …). Voir carte pour le détail.

Princess Juliana Airport was closed and evacuated early this evening due to a bomb threat

We are, at this point, not sure how accurate our information is. All access roads to the airport were closed.

Source : Telegraaf Newspaper. The Netherlands

Update 02/20 :

AIRPORT–A false security threat shut down Princess Juliana International Airport (PJIA), crippled Cole Bay/Simpson Bay traffic and grounded flights out of St. Maarten on Friday evening.

Airport security evacuated hundreds of travellers, their families, PJIA staff and vendors from the terminal after an anonymous caller is said to have reported a bomb in the building at 5:47pm. Security corralled them in the parking lot opposite the terminal.

Officials lifted the emergency status at 11:45pm after thorough checks in and around the PJIA terminal found nothing “that would pose a security threat,” Government Information Services (GIS) reported.

PJIA reopens today, Saturday, at 7:00am.

Some 25 flights were scheduled to enter and leave PJIA between 6:00pm and midnight, according to flight-monitoring Website www.sxmarrivaltimes.com .

Travellers and residents felt inconvenienced by authorities, who turned away drivers in front of a Simpson Bay restaurant and at the Maho roundabout, and banned walking in front of the terminal building.

Traffic froze on either side of the airport as police ordered drivers to turn around for their own safety.

A young mother worried about her infant daughter’s return on a flight from Curaçao that had been cancelled while authorities searched the building for danger.

Twelve firemen swept the terminal.

They combed every section from the basement to the parking lot and tarmac in response to the threat. It took nearly six hours of searching before they gave the green light to airport officials to reopen the terminal.

KLM, Dutch Antillean Express (DAE) and US Airways flights were grounded. Crews ordered passengers off the planes minutes after they boarded. “We were just finished boarding US Airways and we were on KLM when we got the call,” a worker said.

Initial reports reaching The Daily Herald said a person had threatened a plane with a bomb. However, judging by authorities’ response – more than a dozen police, fire and EMS cars rushing to the airport and almost-immediate evacuation – the threat was more severe, said a source who is familiar with airport security.

“If it was on an airplane, then the tower would’ve called it,” the person said. After air traffic controllers report a threat on a plane, procedure for responding to it is three-tiered: isolate the suspect aircraft, detain the person/persons making the threat, and inspect the plane for possible dangers: explosives, gases, and so on.

GIS said the caller had warned of a “security threat” to the airport, but didn’t say whether “it was in the terminal building or on an aircraft.”

“The result of the operation that started at 5:47pm and ended at 11:30pm is that nothing was found that would pose a security threat,” GIS said. Officials refused to say what exactly the caller had said that had warranted a complete shutdown of the airport.

More than 250 passengers had been shuttled out of Simpson Bay to nearby hotels by 9:30pm, a car-rental agent told this newspaper. He was “about to leave work when this happened.”

Two young women were headed to their shifts at Atlantis Casino in Cupecoy when fire, ambulance and police teams raced to the airport. On separate buses, they both noticed the wail of sirens rushing past them, but didn’t expect it to interrupt their day’s plans. “I was just coming down to work and I was already late,” one woman said.

Unfazed by the scare, the women stood under lampposts between the terminal and Winair’s ticket office applying makeup from handheld kits. They still planned to go to work.

Many guests staying at Sonesta Maho Resort and other resorts and condos were forced to go through French St. Martin because the road was blocked. A model performing at a fashion show at a nightclub couldn’t get to the club.

Customers at Crazy Thyme restaurant, which is opposite PJIA, stayed and ate. Police tried to warn them of danger, but they wouldn’t budge. A French couple eating at the restaurant was curious about the search, but not bothered enough to give up their meal. Diners came and went in the more than three hours this newspaper covered the search.

Others watched from the roadside or sat on docks above Simpson Bay Lagoon.

A woman walked into the airport to meet her sister and two-year-old daughter as security escorted everyone out of the building. “We were coming in and everybody was rushing out,” the woman said.

This newspaper did not know up to press time how flights would be reorganised to accommodate last night’s passengers and persons leaving in the days ahead. At least one airline offered passengers vouchers for new flights.

Acting Lt. Governor Millicent Acuña Lopez-de Weever commended disaster management teams for their response. She was on site along with heads of police, the Prosecutor’s Office and the airport. GIS said only that authorities were trying to find out who had made the call. “Law enforcement agencies will continue to carry out their investigation with respect to the source of the security threat,” GIS said.

Source : The Daily Herald

According to Travelocity’s second Traveller Confidence Report, nearly half of the more than 2,000 North American respondents (49 per cent) plan to travel more in the year ahead, up from 21 per cent six months ago and just 10 per cent a year ago. Some 44 per cent plans to travel “about the same” and only 7 per cent plans to travel less, down from 34 per cent a year ago and 24 per cent six months ago.

While the majority (56 per cent) did not have a pre-determined travel budget for 2010, 34 per cent of those who do plan to increase it. At the same time an overwhelming 76 per cent is likely to book a vacation package to save money, which indicates that in addition to visitor experience and quality, price is playing an ever-greater role.

The Caribbean Tourism Organisation (CTO) in turn is forecasting a rebound in visitor arrivals with modest growth of up to 3 per cent for the region this year, after the total number went down from 22.9 million in 2008 to 22.1 million last year. That translates to an overall 3.6 per cent decline in 2009 for the 33 CTO member countries, but the quarterly trend was positive, as the 6.6 per cent drop of the first quarter was down to 6 per cent in the second and just 2 per cent in the third, while the fourth quarter actually saw an increase of one per cent.

Realistically, however, one has to conclude halfway through the current high season that in any case it will not have been a great one in St. Maarten/St. Martin. So the real rebound is more likely to come during the 2010-2011 high season, the positive effects of which will be felt mostly next year. This also means “The Friendly Island” again faces a “long, hot summer” that may prove quite difficult for certain businesses and consequently their employees.

In that sense, initiatives that target other, less seasonal markets such as the recent agreement for regular year-round flights from Brazil can help the island get through the low season. Similar efforts in other alternative markets such as Europe with its high euro and tradition of summer vacations abroad are highly recommendable as well.

All in all, it appears the hard times for the entire Caribbean tourism economy are far from over, but there is at least some light at the end of the tunnel. Making sure St. Maarten/St. Martin benefits from this expected upturn remains a priority, along with surviving the still tough months ahead as best possible.

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This photo was posted on Barbera’s blog yesterday. The volcano ashes disrupt visibility in St Maarten.

ST. JOHN’S, Antigua, February 11, 2010 – LIAT wishes to advise that it has been forced to suspend flights into and out of Antigua because of airborne ash clouds from the Soufriere Hills Volcano in Montserrat.

LIAT continues to assess the situation and as soon as it is safe for services to operate, normal operations will resume.

Passengers on LIAT services, particularly to and from Antigua, Anguilla, Dominica, St. Kitts, Nevis, St. Maarten, and Guadeloupe are advised to expect a disruption in services.

Commissioner of Tourism and Aviation Frans Richardson reached an agreement with GOL Airlines in Brazil on Friday for a year-round weekly flight to St. Maarten.
The agreement is seen as a major step in St. Maarten’s efforts to establish itself as a year-round tourism destination.
While Richardson and Tourist Bureau head Regina Labega were hoping for a twice-weekly flight, the commissioner said he was still ecstatic about the additional airlift. He also noted that the seasonal charter flight would continue.
The agreement means that St. Maarten will have two flights out of Brazil in the high season and one in the off season. The GOL flight will be via Bogotá, Colombia, to St. Maarten.
The end of March 2010 has been tentatively identified as the start date of the new service using a 737 or 767 aircraft. Should the weekly flight prove successful for GOL and the destination, Richardson will meet with GOL executives again in an effort to add a second weekly flight.
GOL will be seeking assistance from St. Maarten in marketing the flight aggressively to ensure its success. When airlines start servicing an island, Richardson explained, they tend to want to feel secure that the destination will do its share towards the success of the service.
Four major Brazilian wholesalers (travel agent firms and tourism-related companies) are now on board to strengthen promotions and representatives of Sonesta Maho Group have shown their commitment by also being present in Brazil to help secure the flight for St. Maarten. Richardson is expected to call on the private sector to do its part on his return to the island.
His week-long itinerary consisted of the launching of St. Maarten’s new branding strategy in Brazil, which he said had been “very impressive to the Brazilians,” meeting with Brazil’s largest tour operator CVC, and a series of other meetings, including those with GOL.

Source : Daily Herald