People, Environment & Growth. Happy World Tourism Day – ‘Rethinking Tourism’

PORT ST. MAARTEN – Tuesday, September 27, 2022, is World Tourism Day (WTD) 2022. Tourism is recognized as a crucial pillar of development and progress.

The Port St. Maarten Group (PSG) would like to wish all those who are working in the tourism and hospitality sectors a ‘Happy WTD 2022.’

“In recognition of WTD 2022 theme, ‘Rethinking Tourism,’ we have seen unimaginable events during the pandemic within the tourism industries such as strategy shifts, mergers, bankruptcies, and sales.

“I think most important is that it gave us the opportunity to sit still for a minute to think, seize the opportunity to rethink, and re-strategize. It gave the cruise industry the opportunity to become lean again with customer centricity at its center core.

“As we prepare for the high season starting November with more than 50 cruise ship calls; December with more than 90 ship calls, we can say the rebound is on the horizon.

“The volume of passengers is one thing, but we must remember the value and services offered on the island. The friendliness of our taxis, merchants, and hospitality staff still holds the destination as a high-ranking cruise port,” PSG CEO Alexander Gumbs said on Monday.

The cruise industry as part of its strategy is at the forefront in developing responsible environmental practices, leading by example for the world’s shipping industry, according to the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA).

Gumbs says besides putting people first, it is also about putting the environment first, and therefore commends the cruise industry for its environmental vision in becoming more sustainable and resilient.

CLIA says that ocean-going cruise lines are pursuing net-zero carbon cruising by 2050 across the global fleet and are on track to reduce the rate of carbon emissions by 40 per cent by 2030.

WTD has been held on 27 September each year since 1980. The date marks the anniversary of the adoption of the Statutes of the Organization in 1970, paving the way for the establishment of the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) five years later.