PHILIPSBURG, Sint Maarten — The Sint Maarten Tourism Bureau (STB) recently hosted five journalists and one photographer from the United States to experience first-hand all that the destination has to offer. The group consisted of journalists that would provide a diverse range of coverage for the destination in print and digital media reaching audiences from areas such as South Florida and New York.
The selected journalists were from media outlets such as Islands.com, New York Resident Magazine, Caribbean Living Magazine and HonestCooking.com, and covered topics of the destination ranging from culture, adventure, culinary as well as a comprehensive travel guide.
STB plans to host more journalist in the near future to further increase destination awareness.
By STB hosting the group of journalists, the destination is able to reach a diverse audience through the respective publications, increasing destination awareness and inspiring readers. Additionally, the publicity generated from international travel media hosting is invaluable.
Through the first-hand enriching experiences, the journalists were able to share this with their audience, garnering ample exposure for the destination and encouraging travel to the island.
The group partook in an intensive five-day program that included a range of activities such as a sunset sail trip on a catamaran, visits to local restaurants and establishments, as well as individual meetings with renowned local Artist Ruby Bute and Denicio Wyatte of Spaceless Gardens, amongst other activities.
In addition to hosting the journalists, an intimate photography workshop was conducted by specialized travel, lifestyle, and editorial photographer Bronwyn Knight, who was also part of the media group.
Her photos have been in publications such as Islands, Destination Weddings & Honeymoons, Suitcase, and much more.
The workshop geared to provide introductory information of photography to local content creators, small business owners and small hotel owners. The workshop was held at the Divi Little Bay Beach Resort where a presentation about photography was given, and a hands-on photography session was held, showing attendees how to take photos that will do well.
