Two sides, one feeling: Saint-Martin unveils new tourism campaign for Canadians

One Caribbean island, two countries, 37 beaches and more than 350 restaurants. 

Saint-Martin and Sint Maarten are looking to attract more Canadians this winter, with increased air service, a new tourism campaign, and programs to help travel advisors sell both sides of the island.

The destination was the focus of a dinner hosted by Atout France at Bisha Hotel in Toronto on Tuesday evening (Oct. 27), bringing together travel advisors, tourism partners, airline representatives, and French and Dutch diplomatic officials.

On the hotel's 43rd floor, sweeping skyline views and screens displaying the island's turquoise waters provided the backdrop. 

Guests were served Caribbean-inspired dishes, including pumpkin soup with coconut milk and Scotch bonnet oil, jerk chicken with plantain and mango salsa, and rum-infused desserts.

Among those attending were Aïda Weinum, director of the Saint-Martin Tourism Office; Suzanne Scantlebery, the office's market manager for the U.S. and Canada; Martine Russet, deputy consul of France in Toronto; and Marjan Schippers, Dutch consul general in Toronto.

The dinner marked the Canadian introduction of the French side's Saint-Martin, It's a Feeling campaign, launched in September.

“We had to go to our primary feeder markets, and Toronto is one of them,” Weinum told PAX in a one-on-one interview.

The campaign takes its inspiration from repeat visitors who describe an immediate change in atmosphere when they arrive.

“As you land, you feel the energy has switched,” Weinum said.

The feeling appears to last well beyond a single holiday. Weinum described families returning to the same accommodations year after year, sometimes across several generations.

“Grandparents came; now the kids are coming with their kids. So it's really a place where you make friends, and you make connections,” she said.

Canada is an important market for the tourism office. Weinum reported increased Canadian interest during the summer and expects that momentum to continue into winter.

The office is focusing on couples, multigenerational families, groups celebrating special occasions, repeat visitors, and snowbirds spending a month or longer away from Canada.

More flights and a different kind of FAM

Airlift from Canada is increasing for the 2026–27 winter season.

According to the schedule presented at the event, WestJet will operate six weekly flights from Toronto beginning in November, increasing to as many as eight weekly flights during peak winter. Service continues through April 2027.

Sunwing Vacations will also offer a weekly Thursday departure from Montreal to the island, beginning Nov. 5, 2026, and continuing through April 29, 2027.

Karen Puebla, representing WestJet and Sunwing Vacations, confirmed the increased service during an interview with PAX.

Asked whether additional frequencies or Canadian gateways could follow, Puebla said demand would be a deciding factor.

Weinum said Air Canada and Air Transat also serve the island, with frequencies generally increasing during winter.

WestJet and Sunwing are planning educational webinars with French and Dutch tourism partners, while the Saint-Martin Tourism Office is preparing an online training program and continuing promotions with Canadian tour operators.

Puebla said the goal is to help advisors understand the experiences available beyond the resorts.

“It's not just sun and beach,” she told PAX.

Advisors interested in exploring the French side firsthand can also participate in Fly In, a recurring familiarization initiative organized by the Saint-Martin Tourism Office, typically held in June.

“It's not gonna be a traditional FAM trip,” Weinum said.

Rather than following a fixed group itinerary, participating travel advisors receive support with accommodations, transportation and meals, allowing them to explore the island at their own pace. 

They can choose which hotels, restaurants, and attractions to visit, with opportunities to discover the Dutch side and neighbouring islands.

The format gives advisors firsthand experience of the destination while allowing them to focus on the properties and activities most relevant to their clients.

Two countries, two personalities

“St. Martin is two sides, but it's really one people,” Weinum said.

There are no routine passport checks at the internal border, although the French and Dutch sides have noticeably different tourism offerings.

French Saint-Martin is known for its boutique hotels, private villas and smaller properties. Scantlebery told guests that no hotel on the French side has more than 200 rooms, reflecting the destination's smaller-scale accommodation offerings.

Grand Case draws visitors for its restaurants, Marigot for its markets and shopping, and Orient Bay for its beaches and laid-back entertainment.

Dutch Sint Maarten has a greater concentration of larger resorts and international brands, including Sonesta, JW Marriott and Hilton, as well as all-inclusive accommodations, casinos, and nightclubs.

Philipsburg is known for shopping, while Maho and Simpson Bay offer restaurants and nightlife.

“In just a matter of minutes, visitors can move from a charming French village to a cosmopolitan marina, from a fine dining experience to the vibrant energy of Caribbean nightlife,” said Russet during her remarks.

“What differentiates both is the vibe and the ambience,” Scantlebery told PAX.

The island's multicultural character was also a talking point among diplomatic representatives at the dinner.

“Toronto is a very vibrant, multicultural city, and when you go to islands like that, that's what you see as well,” Russet said in an interview with PAX. “Multicultural living, which is in a beautiful setting.”

Schippers pointed to the range of experiences available across the island.

“The unique thing of the island is that you're never bored,” she shared with PAX.

Food alone could keep visitors occupied for some time.

Dining options range from local lolos serving Caribbean specialties to French fine dining and international restaurants in Grand Case and beyond.

The French side's Festival de la Gastronomie, scheduled for Nov. 11–22, will feature visiting chefs, cooking workshops, tastings, competitions, and a culinary village celebrating local food traditions. Coconut is this year's featured ingredient, while pizza and Johnny cake competitions are among the additions.

On the Dutch side, St. Maarten Flavors Month takes place each June, with participating restaurants offering special menus.

The calendar also includes the St. Maarten Heineken Regatta from March 4–7, 2027, the SXM Festival electronic music event from March 17–21, and separate carnival celebrations on the French and Dutch sides.

“We do everything twice,” Scantlebery joked, referring to the island's two carnivals.

Between festivals, travellers can try perfume-making workshops, discover local guavaberry traditions, explore heritage sites, or enjoy watersports.

Maho Beach remains a favourite for watching aircraft approach the nearby airport, while Pinel Island and Tintamarre offer nature excursions.

Those with more time can add neighbouring Anguilla, St. Barthélemy, Saba or Sint Eustatius to their itinerary using regional ferry and air connections.

Weinum encouraged visitors to rent a car and explore rather than limit themselves to the area around their accommodations.

“It would be a pity if you stay on one side,” she said.

Selling the island beyond seven nights

The differences between the French and Dutch sides are also prompting conversations about how advisors can package longer stays.

Paul Nielsen, a travel consultant with Paragon Travel, returned to Saint-Martin last year after more than three decades. 

Experiencing both sides during a familiarization trip gave him a new appreciation for the destination.

He has since spoken with airline representatives about making split stays easier for advisors to book, allowing clients to experience both sides during one holiday.

“Whereas going to St. Martin, you come back enriched with feelings of cultural growth,” he told guests.

He also spoke about the linguistic richness of the experience and returning from a holiday “richer as a person.”

Villas are another option for travellers who want more flexibility.

David Morton of MAC Caribbean Villa Rentals described how villas can accommodate multigenerational trips, including grandparents renting a property for two weeks and welcoming family members for part of their stay.

He also described travellers extending traditional seven-night vacations to nine or ten nights.

Weinum said visitors typically stay five to seven days, although snowbirds and other long-stay guests may remain for a month or longer.

For advisors, that leaves room to combine a boutique hotel on the French side with a larger resort on the Dutch side, arrange a villa stay for an extended family, or build in excursions to neighbouring islands.

Whatever the itinerary, Weinum hopes Canadians will take time to get to know the island beyond its beaches and hotels.

“St. Martin is not just a place you visit,” she said. “It's a place you come, you experience, you explore, and you meet people and make new friends.”

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