Wednesday, July 16, 2025

A token of vacation and relaxation The idyllic island of Saint-Martin has just been nominated for “Caribbean’s Leading Destination 2025” at the World Travel Awards (WTA). This award is indeed an increasingly prestigious distinction and a great opportunity for the island to acquire world-renowned reputation. The World Travel Awards is recognized as the industry’s equivalent of the Oscar’s and for Saint-Martin, known for its rich history, magnificent beaches and thriving tourism scene, to be nominated in such a fiercely competitive category is fantastic news for the territory.

The “votes” can be registered for flights on the St-Martin Tourism Office’s or the Condé Nast Traveller Airport Poll’s website, where the general public (both industry professionals and global travelers) is asked to “vote” for the island. This nomination shines a spotlight on Saint-Martin and competes with very popular Caribbean islands to be named one of the best places to visit in the Caribbean, reiterating its standing as a favorite tourist spot in the region. This opportunity raises not only the island’s international profile, but the potential for increased tourism to Saint-Martin in the years ahead.

The World Travel Awards, set up in 1993, are considered to be one of the foremost accolades in the travel and tourism sector. They serve to acknowledge, reward and celebrate excellence across all sectors of the global travel and tourism industry. These nominations, along with the winners, are decided by a public vote, so the results represent the consensus of industry specialists and in-the-know music lovers.

For Saint-Martin, the designation is much more than a feather in its cap—it’s a heavy-hitting platform whose success or failure could shape the island as a premier travel destination. The Caribbean is a notoriously competitive destination with Bahamas, Barbados, Jamaica and the Dominican Republic all competing for visitors. Yet Saint-Martin’s combination of French and Dutch influences, its array of tourism offerings and its reputation for being a welcoming nation make it something unique and positive to people traveling from all over the world.

This recognition presents an enormous opportunity for Saint-Martin to continue to elevate internationally its lifestyle and holiday offer, and amplify its recognized hospitality and picturesque environment. With increased tourist interest comes increased traffic, and all local businesses in tourism—from hotels and restaurants to shops, tour providers and transport—can benefit from the influx.

Saint-Martin’s visitors have already been on the rise, thanks to the year-round seasonality of its tourism. Orient Bay & Maho Beach are some of the most famous beaches known for sparkling waters, nightlife and cultural opportunities. This island is also known as a culinary haven with a fusion of French, Dutch and Caribbean dishes that will leave all visitors begging for more. And then Saint-Martin offers something you’ll find nowhere else, like duty-free shopping, water sports and its unique mix of Caribbean, French and Dutch culture.

But tourism to the island, like most others, suffered as a result of the global pandemic. The WTA nomination brings new hope and highlights the fact that Saint-Martin is getting ready to take its rightful place back on top of the list of the most beautiful destinations in the Caribbean. The World Travel Awards international promotion may provide the island with the boost it needs to pick up the pace of recovery and restore those numbers.

The economic effects of such a nomination are hard to overstate. In reality, when destinations receive such accolades as the World Travel Award’s nomination, it is not without immediate impact as obviously it is synonymous with greater exposure, which is translated into additional bookings at hospitality establishment. Airlines and cruises can also expand service to the island while international media exposure for the award process can generate further buzz for Saint-Martin.

Businesses on island too would benefit as the increased visibility could drive tourists to areas they may otherwise not have visited. Hotels, restaurants, resorts, and retailers will likely find their business growing as a new crowd of travelers descend on Saint-Martin and all the area has to offer. Rising tourism has a ripple effect that goes beyond typical tourist-related industries to include employment generation and community development, especially in sectors such as tour guiding, retail, and local crafts markets.

There is also the cultural weight of being acknowledged for a World Travel Award. Its unique mix of cultures—French, Dutch and Caribbean—and… party-ready spirit make it a culturally abundant spot. The nomination can draw the world’s attention to this lively multiculturalism and to the island as a place of harmony, difference and global cooperation. In emphasizing the island’s distinctive culture, the nomination aims to inspire travelers to pursue an experience beyond the sun-bleached clichés of beaches and resorts. Paradise Island Has Anyone stoihotunya / Getty Images The Bahamas is home to some of the world’s best beaches, and visitors to Paradise Island can spend days enjoying the white sands and crystal-clear waters.

“Such a nomination for the people of Saint-Martin is a second of pride, a second where the community can consider the island,” said Pécresse. The people of Saint-Martin are urged to vote for their home and help raise the island on as the international tourism map. Local participation in the voting process not only increases community spirit, it offers a way for residents to actually participate in the future prosperity of our island.

The open invitation from the Saint-Martin Tourist Office is for all as well—from locals and tourists to industry partners levaged with this opportunity. By also having the input of the local people and with international comparisons it showed the collective strive to make the Island more attractive and known internationally.

Saint-Martin’s nomination will go to the global stage, on which the World Travel Awards Grand Tour is an annual search which visits the globe’s regional for the very best of travel companies that forms the world’s largest travel awards programme. Winners of the regional competitions will challenge each other for the supreme title of “World’s Leading Destination” at the Grand Final. Tanzania cancun-mexico hong-kong uae dar-es-salaam tanzaniaTanzania tanzaniaNEW TO 2016 – GRAND TOUR AROUND THE GLOBE The Grand Tour visited Dar es Salaam (Tanzania) in September. The Grand Tour this year will take in celebrations in Cancún (Mexico), Hong Kong and Dubai (UAE), with the grand final in Bahrain. The events facilitate networking between governments and industry, along with the media, reinforcing their winners’ positions as global leaders in travel.

The World Travel Award nomination is just the beginning for Saint-Martin. And with the backing of industry professionals and the public, the island has a real chance of winning the prestigious title of “Caribbean’s Leading Destination 2025.” All of this would without a doubt contribute to growing the international reputation and more curious visitors to Saint-Martin, looking to experience everything it has to offer.

In short, Saint-Martin’s nomination is not a mere accolade, but a vital agent in its tourism industry.” Fringed with votes and blooming globally, the Friendly Island bound to shine more on the international tourism map, it has great future for both the locals and international visitors.

Saint-Martin Tourism Office, World Travel Awards Official Information.