PHILIPSBURG, Sint Maarten — The Department of Statistics together with the St. Maarten Tourism Bureau will be commencing the collaborative data collection project during which visitors are surveyed at both the Princess Juliana International Airport and the Cruise Port with goal of collecting key information such as visitor demographics, trip information, satisfaction, and spending behavior on island. The 2021 Tourism Exit Survey marks a critical time for data collection to observe how travel behavior has been changing as a result of traveling post pandemic.
It also marks the first time surveys will be held at the Cruise Port since the halting of all cruise operations in March 2020. Collecting data of cruise passengers and their experience while on-island, such as choice of on-island activities and spending behavior post pandemic, will provide the destination with valuable insights into the changing behavior of cruise passengers and how the destination can better cater to the cruise industry as operations of various cruise lines return.
“Recruitment plays a very big role in the Tourism Exit Survey, the interviewers play the crucial role of being our eyes and ears in the field.” Says Sabrina Carty, Market Researcher of the St. Maarten Tourism Bureau. “Insights collected from the Tourist Exit Survey go on to form the basis of reports and analyses which aids the destination in making effective marketing decisions and targeting strategies.” The Tourism Exit survey also aims to guide the development of the destination as a tourism product and estimating a monetary value to the tourism industry; the main economic pillar of St. Maarten.
The Tourism Exit Survey will be kicking off in September and again in December, each spanning over two weeks. Potential candidates can ask for details about the freelance interviewer vacancies by sending an email to statinfo@sintmaartengov.org.
The deadline to apply is August 14th.
