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When (lime) Green Means A Healthy Sustainable Environment
Everybody knows about the new political thrill. Right?
And aren’t we all DYING to finally see its’ manifesto?
Unfortunately it is yet to make a grand entrée. The bore of waiting and considering the fact that its’ figurehead has never made the slightest greenwashed impression on me, have induced me to extend a helping hand (shown kindness may be applauded here).
St. Maarten scores high again on TripAdvisor Travelers’ Choice Awards---Ranked 4th in the Caribbean & Mexico ahead of Aruba, Barbados, Jamaica.
SMNN -
Great Bay,– St. Maarten/St. Martin is ranked fourth in the latest TripAdvisor Travelers' Choice Awards Top 25 Destinations in the Caribbean and Mexico, one spot ahead of Aruba, and just below Havana, Cuba. The first two places went to Chichen Itza, Mexico and The Bahamas respectively. "Get the experience of visiting two island colonies in the same 37 square miles. Saint Maarten/Saint Martin's spicy marriage of Caribbean, French and Dutch cultures matches its physical diversity: the island is both urban and untamed, with rain forest-like landscapes, white beaches, and amazing caves and wildlife," TripAdvisor wrote about the island.[More....]
Hotel occupancy ticks upward from rough ’09
The Daily Herald - PHILIPSBURG--Hotel occupancy figures from January to March 2010 are mixed, but do not paint an overly negative picture compared to the same period in 2009.
Hotel occupancy was down slightly at 68.5 per cent in January 2010, compared to 69.5 per cent the prior January.
Figures leaped significantly in February 2010 to 74.8 per cent, compared to 64.6 per cent in February 2009. As the high season began to tail off in March 2010, so did occupancy, but not as badly as in 2009. March showed a 59.9 per cent occupancy level, compared to 52.3 per cent in the same period last year.
EXCO APPROVES TRANSITION APPROACH FOR NEW MINISTRY OF TOURISM, ECONOMY, TRAFFIC AND COMMUNICATIONS
SMNN -
GREAT BAY:--- St. Maarten's Executive Council on Tuesday approved proposals for the transition approach regarding tasks for the new ministry of tourism, economic affairs, traffic and telecommunications for country St. Maarten. The Executive Council also approved an overview provided of the transfer of legislation by the Netherlands Antilles to the new ministry as well as the terms of the required legislation, Central Government tasks, policy, work instructions and procedures per department of the new ministry.[More....]
SXM working on direct flight out of Germany
PHILIPSBURG - St. Maarten might be able to secure a direct flight from Germany to the island, disclosed Commissioner of Tourism, Frans Richardson. He said he and local tourism stakeholders met with Air Berlin recently while away on tourism related business and there is a prospect that the airline could start direct flights into St. Maarten. [More....]
Separate Church and State!
It's been a while since I felt like blogging, Flipper's email asking me to write something for the site a couple days ago was on my mind but honestly, I'm just too fed up with it all. But then, today reading the Daily Herald's (nice new site by the way DH!) story about Frans and George saying they don't think SXM should have separation of Church and State I no longer had any choice.
I've covered religion and SXM's religious nuts a few times over the years, one my first blogs here was titled Gay Gay Gay Gay Gay, I was sick and tired of reading religious clap trap and homophobic hate speech in our papers, and about 3 weeks later the two CBS gay guys got whacked over the head with a tire iron in Maho. Links to some of my other blogs can be found on one I wrote last year titled 'State and Church Separation?'
Before I get stuck in to this lovely meaty morsel laid before me, let me just state as I have done in the past that it is not my intention to offend those with religious beliefs. However, I reserve the right to have and hold to my own non religious beliefs and that means it's probably impossible not to offend those with them when speaking my mind. You have been warned.
Central Committee meeting on Tourism Branding Strategy
PHILIPSBURG - On Friday, March 5, there was a central committee meeting to discuss the branding strategy of the Tourism Bureau that has been launched. Island Council Member Theodore Heyliger sat in as Acting Chairman of the Central Committee. Present at the meeting were Island Council members: Frans Richardson, Roy Marlin, Sarah Wescot-Williams, Maria Buncamper Molanus, and Leroy de Weever. Representing the Tourism Bureau was Head Regina La Bega and staff and Raphael Cordoza Director of Tambourine, The marketing company and Director Economy and Tourism Miguel de Weever.[More....]
Scheduled flights from Latin America to start next month
The Daily Herald - PHILIPSBURG - Successful is how Tourism Commissioner Frans Richardson has labeled his recent weeklong trip to Brazil.
The biggest achievement of the trip was the announcement of a new scheduled year round flight by GOL Airlines that will originate in Argentina with an intermittent stop in Brazil.
UGLY REMARKS
Marty’s Giro in Simpson Bay is a great place to eat on the island. But this Thursday evening, the Rainbow Warriors (read local gay society) that congregate there for a discrete tête-à- tête got more than they could chew. Some local rich female (with a bad hairstyle and an inebriated proboscis) who unwisely bought land in Statia declared her distaste for the practice of zoning on the Historical Gem.
Unfortunate for her was the presence of a local historian who reaffirmed the importance of conserving the Island’s historical heritage and avoiding the catastrophic over development that has defaced the identity and thus image of St. Maarten.
“You are just a gay asshole,” she voiced with self proclaimed authority.
Needless to say, the camp followers were perturbed about the remark and became feint as robins. They referred to Marty, the owner for some kind of immediate resolution. None was forthcoming.
Nostradamus was also perturbed. Rich people have a habit of being oblivious to feelings and the eminent sear identifies with emotional damage especially when its source originates from the intellect of an ant. His mind recalls that wonderful retort of Winston Churchill when confronted by Lady Astor and her accusation that he was drunk. “Yes, madam, I am drunk. But in the morning I will be sober and you will still be ugly.”
Times change - DH Editorial
A study that shows people are increasingly using the Internet to plan and book their travels can be called good news for St. Maarten. After all, most of the emergency marketing funds made available in connection with the impact of the global crisis by diverting means from the Social Economic Initiative (SEI) programme financed by the Dutch Government were directed towards online wholesalers such as Expedia.com and Travelocity.com rather than more traditional promotion avenues. [More....]
