St. Maarten Feels the Economic Pinch

St. Maarten relies heavily on tourism for it's income and with the sad state of affairs in the States and Europe, fewer tourists and holidaymakers are coming to the island.

To make matters worse, the St. Maarten Lagoon Authority put up the lagoon and bridge fees by 300% just before the last season with the result that megayacht Captains who would normally have spent the charter season in St. Maarten, are seeking out cheaper ports in the Caribbean.

With falling income and constantly rising costs, government urgently needs to review ways to supplement the income from tourism so as to spread the risk.

The true assessment will only be apparent at the end of this season, but so far it is not looking as if it will be a great season for the island. 

That is a nice picture.