Room nights for the summer months.

According to St. Maarten Hospitality and Trade Association (SHTA), the country registered nine per cent less room nights this summer compared to last summer.

SHTA said that while St. Maarten hotels sold 194,571 room nights in the summer months of 2022, this year’s summer occupancy amounted to 177,174 room nights sold. This is 9% lower than the previous year.

Compared to 2017, the margin is much wider – 28% less. “This summer’s sold room night count is 6% lower than 2019, in which room capacity started at 36% less room capacity compared to now and ended at 18% less,” SHTA said in an email to its members.

According to the association, higher air fares and less airlift are a regional challenge explaining some of the lower occupancy, but various destinations in the Caribbean have experienced growth since 2022 regardless.

“Many tourism destinations in the region consider room nights an important economic indicator. SHTA bases its numbers on comparably large samples (minimum 59% of all available hotel rooms), extrapolated to the full room inventory of the Dutch side,” SHTA noted.

Bron: Daily Herald