The Saint Martin Tourism Office recently welcomed a group of 12 tourism professionals from Guadeloupe, Martinique, Curaçao, and Trinidad & Tobago as part of a Regional Educational Tour designed to deepen agents' knowledge of the island so they can better advise their clients. The initiative, led by the tourism office under its "Discover Saint-Martin" brand, is part of the local and regional promotion strategy the office has been rolling out in recent years through its dedicated local/regional market team.

During the trip, participants toured hotel properties across the island, took part in culinary experiences, and joined immersive activities designed to showcase the diversity of Saint-Martin's tourism offerings — both on the French side and in combination with the neighboring Dutch side, Sint Maarten. These trips, known in the industry as "fam trips" or educational tours, typically combine hotel visits, food tastings, and adventure or nature-based activities, giving agents a firsthand feel for what they'll later sell to travelers.

This kind of program is nothing new for the Saint Martin Tourism Office, which has ramped up its outreach to travel agencies and regional Caribbean markets in recent years. The office, led by president Valérie Damaseau, has a team dedicated specifically to local and regional market promotion, tasked with organizing these familiarization trips and maintaining ties with tour operators from neighboring islands like Guadeloupe and Martinique, as well as broader markets such as Curaçao and Trinidad & Tobago.

The timing is no coincidence. The Caribbean travel sector is going through a major shakeup in regional air connectivity following the liquidation of Air Antilles, which has cut flight frequencies between several islands and driven up airfares. Against that backdrop, giving agents from neighboring islands firsthand knowledge of the destination becomes a key tool for keeping intra-regional travel flowing, beyond the traditional European and North American markets.

Saint-Martin, nicknamed "the Friendly Island" for its blend of French, Dutch, and Caribbean cultures sharing a single territory, continues to position itself as a dual-identity destination: beaches, dining, and nightlife on the French side, paired with casinos and resorts on the Dutch side. The Tourism Office says experiences like this educational tour are key to helping agents "better inspire and advise future travelers," echoing the message shared on its official social media channels.

With initiatives like this, Saint-Martin is looking to stand out in an increasingly competitive Caribbean market, betting that firsthand destination knowledge across the travel distribution chain — agencies, tour operators, and travel advisors — will translate into more bookings and stronger promotion of the island to travelers across the region.