PHILIPSBURG – The St. Maarten Hospitality and Trade Association (SHTA), the largest private sector representative, is proud to announce that it managed to secure four USA Today newspaper ad insertions in the coming weeks, boosting St. Maarten as a top vacation destination.
The marketing initiative of the association is a direct results of the SHTA’s association with the Visit St. Maarten in-room magazine and publisher North South Net International. In addition, the initiative coincides with and reinforces the ongoing Expedia and Trip Advisor marketing campaigns for St. Maarten, which are the largest booking sites in the world.
The SHTA “Save the summer” suggested plan, which had recommendations for online campaigns within, played an integral part in the realization of the current TripAdvisor/Expedia campaign. The association developed the plan into a public/private collaboration, which has been embraced by the Ministry of Tourism.
The campaign is designed to boost visitor numbers, especially during the traditional “slow season,” which started in May and will run for 12 months.
In addition to the TripAdvisor/Expedia campaign, SHTA has arranged for ads to be placed in USA Today during the months of June and July to encourage travelers to visit the destination and to support the current Expedia/TripAdvisor campaign.
A total of 4 ads will be published with a “book now” call to action, which directs people to a special St. Maarten page on Expedia: www.expedia.com/SXM.
SHTA has received preliminary results that revenues and room night bookings have shown year over year improvement since the start of the TripAdvisor/Expedia campaign. The association looks forward to receiving a full performance overview after 90 days from the start in order to determine the overall success of the initiative.
The SHTA is dedicated to bringing quality to all aspects of life on St. Maarten by promoting sustainable economic development for its members in cooperation with the social partners and the creation of a fair marketplace.
For more information, contact their offices at +1 (721) 542-0108, via email: office@shta.com or visit their website: www.shta.com.
