ABC Mundial is covering the sixth Festival de la Gastronomie in Saint-Martin, where Emile Louisy, Brazil, Latin America and Cruises Market Manager at the Saint-Martin Tourist Office, spoke about the island’s culinary identity, its international character and the opportunities to attract visitors from Latin America.

Louis y described the festival as a meeting point for Caribbean, European and international cuisine, with local ingredients giving each dish its own identity. “It is a mixture of Caribbean, European and international food, but all the dishes have a local flavor. This year, that ingredient is coconut,” he explained.

Among the traditional dishes he highlighted were fish and rice and fish and fungi, while noting that the festival brings together different culinary traditions around the island’s local flavors.

Louis y also pointed to the combination of European and Caribbean influences as an important element for the Argentine market. “The European touch, the Argentinian people love the European touch. Because we have a European touch with Caribbean, and the European touch put together. That's a plus for the Argentinian people,” he said.

For the tourism representative, Saint-Martin’s appeal goes beyond its food. He highlighted the island’s 37 beaches and its multicultural population, with more than 120 nationalities living together. French, English, Spanish and Dutch are among the languages spoken across the island.

“Whichever one you look for, you could get. You could get local food, you could get French food, you could get Spanish food,” he said, emphasizing the variety available to visitors.

Louis y also recalled the island’s welcoming identity: “We call ourselves the Friendly Island because we receive everybody with a smile and a warm heart.”

His remarks reflect the message Saint-Martin is bringing to the Festival de la Gastronomie: a destination where culinary diversity, cultural influences and hospitality come together to create a distinctive Caribbean experience.