Social media must convert into bookings and economic activity, Heyliger-Marten says

GREAT BAY--Minister of Tourism, Economic Affairs, Transport and Telecommunication Grisha Heyliger-Marten says St. Maarten’s social media strategy must ultimately be measured by the tourism and economic activity it generates, not simply by the number of followers on Government-managed accounts.

“Social media is a means to an end; it is not the end result,” the Minister said. “I want those platforms to generate engagement that converts into bookings, airlift, hotel stays, restaurant spending, tours, transportation and economic activity for our people.”

Heyliger-Marten made the remarks while responding to questions about St. Maarten’s digital tourism marketing, particularly its presence on TikTok and Instagram, and whether the St. Maarten Tourism Bureau is investing enough in the platforms where travelers are increasingly making their travel decisions.

The Minister explained that when she previously said St. Maarten was performing well on TikTok, she was referring to the overall digital footprint of the destination and not solely to activity generated through an official Government account.

She said much of the destination’s visibility is being driven by visitors, travel creators, local businesses and influencers who are producing and sharing content about St. Maarten with audiences around the world.

“When I spoke about St. Maarten performing well on TikTok, I was referring to the overall digital footprint of the destination, content being generated by visitors, travel creators, local businesses and influencers,” Heyliger-Marten said.

She stressed that Government is also involved in that strategy through paid partnerships with selected influencers and content creators who promote St. Maarten on platforms such as TikTok.

“Government is absolutely part of that strategy. We pay and partner with selected influencers and content creators specifically to promote St. Maarten on platforms such as TikTok,” she said.

The Minister acknowledged, however, that the official St. Maarten Tourism Bureau TikTok account remains relatively new and said she personally instructed STB to establish an official presence on the platform.

“I believe our own destination channels should complement the significant reach we are already generating through influencers, visitors and user-generated content,” she said. “As the account develops, the intention is to strengthen the content and build its reach and engagement.”

Heyliger-Marten said the Ministry has been operating within the limitations of existing marketing contracts and a tourism marketing budget that is considerably smaller than those of competing destinations.

She said several of the marketing contracts currently in place were inherited and are now approaching their end, giving Government an opportunity in 2027 to redirect more available resources toward social media, digital content and influencer marketing.

“With the additional resources available in 2027, I expect us to do more digital marketing, produce more destination content, expand strategic creator partnerships and strengthen our presence across the platforms where today’s travelers are actually making their travel decisions,” she said.

The Minister also pointed out that despite limited resources, St. Maarten was recognized earlier this year for its strong online tourism presence, which she said demonstrates that the broader strategy is already creating visibility for the destination.

She said the next step is to strengthen St. Maarten’s own destination channels alongside the organic and paid exposure being generated through visitors, creators, businesses and influencers.

Heyliger-Marten said St. Maarten has for many years worked with approximately US$2 million annually for destination marketing. She noted that when this is compared with destinations such as Aruba and Curaçao, which have substantially larger resources available for international tourism marketing, St. Maarten is competing for travelers with a considerably smaller budget.

The Minister said she believes St. Maarten requires significantly more funding if the country is serious about expanding its tourism reach and competing more effectively in international markets.

While she relies on tourism professionals to advise Government on the appropriate level of investment, Heyliger-Marten said the ballpark figure discussed with her is approximately US$10 million to US$15 million annually, equivalent to roughly XCG 18 million to XCG 27 million.

She stressed that a tourism marketing budget of that size should not simply be viewed as funding for traditional advertising.

The resources, she said, should allow St. Maarten to market itself more aggressively internationally, significantly strengthen its digital and social media presence, support airlift and strategic partnerships, produce more destination content and create or support events and experiences that attract visitors during slower and shoulder periods.

“That is why increasing the resources available for tourism marketing remains important to me,” Heyliger-Marten said. “With more funding, we can do more of what is already working, enter markets where we currently have limited presence, and deliberately stimulate demand during the months when our businesses need it most.”

Responding to concerns that the growth of St. Maarten’s official social media accounts has not kept pace with some other small destinations, Heyliger-Marten agreed that the country needs to invest more in social media and digital marketing.

She said strengthening that area has been part of her vision from the beginning and that additional resources expected to become available will allow STB to significantly improve its digital presence in 2027.

At the same time, she cautioned against using follower counts on Government Instagram or TikTok accounts as the primary measure of whether St. Maarten’s tourism marketing is working.

The Minister said she wants to see stronger follower growth, more engagement and more strategic use of paid promotion, but ultimately those efforts must translate into measurable benefits for the tourism economy.

She said the objective should be to convert digital attention into airline seats, hotel bookings, restaurant spending, excursions, transportation use and revenue for businesses and workers across St. Maarten.

Heyliger-Marten said the broader marketing investment should therefore include digital advertising, content creation, influencer partnerships, strategic collaborations and events capable of stimulating demand during slower months.

“So yes, we will boost the posts, but my ambition for St. Maarten tourism is considerably bigger than boosting a post,” she said.

The Minister said a stronger budget would allow St. Maarten to build on the digital exposure it is already receiving, strengthen the country’s official tourism channels, reach new audiences and enter markets where the destination currently has limited visibility.

She said the goal is to ensure that online visibility is converted into meaningful tourism growth and economic activity that benefits the wider community.

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