SMART 2026 puts regional island-hopping in the spotlight

GREAT BAY--Anguilla, Saba, and Statia (St. Eustatius) will be the official host destinations of the “Meet the Neighbors” program in the 18th St. Maarten / St. Martin Annual Regional Tradeshow (SMART). This was announced recently by the St. Maarten Hospitality & Trade Association (SHTA), in conjunction with organizing committee members Office du Tourisme (OdT), St. Maarten Tourism Bureau (STB), and the Club du Tourisme (CdT).

SMART 2026 will take place from June 22–26 and will be the third edition in its revised, expanded format. As a new element, “Meet the Neighbors” was added to the 25-year-old tradeshow in 2024 and 2025 to allow foreign tour operators and travel agents to explore a unique feature of destinations in the northeastern Caribbean: their proximity to one another. Operators, airlines, and agents are cordially invited to enjoy the final Friday of the SMART event on a surrounding island, leading to additional scope and attraction factor of the event. In other words, visits to “spokes,” to which the binational St. Maarten / St. Martin destination serves as a “hub,” are often combined for island-hopping experiences.

“The Friday Island” excursions are an addition to explorations of both sides of the host island, St. Maarten / St. Martin, which take place on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday.

The Friday “Meet the Neighbors” program highlights two core qualities of the dual-nation destination: its openness to other cultures and nations as the binational “Friendly Island,” as well as its proximity to other destinations to discover. Ms. Aïda Weinum, Director of L’Office du Tourisme de St. Martin, stated:

“Caribbean Island hopping is a 21st-century attraction, with countless opportunities to explore from the ‘springboard’ of St. Maarten / St. Martin, and the same in reverse for visitors in surrounding destinations. From the uninhabited yet pristine Pinel and Tintamarre island beaches to the short ferry rides and flights to our neighbors, we are well suited not only to enjoy one or more days of additional cultures, but also other nations.”

Ms. May-Ling Chun, Director of the St. Maarten Tourism Bureau, added:

“Anguilla is just 7 kilometers away from St. Martin; St. Barths, Statia, Saba, and St. Kitts are only a ferry ride away as well, not to mention the availability of inter-island flights. Programs incentivizing island hopping are well underway. Since its first edition, SMART has acknowledged the strength of standing close together as Caribbean public and private sectors, across borders and barriers. This is why we welcome the presence of our neighboring destinations at SMART no fewer than 15 in 2025.”

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