St Maarten has a new Tourism Minister, following the appointment of Minister Arthur Lambriex to the role. 

Lambriex has vowed to use the first 100 days of his term to reposition the destination and get a handle on the reconstruction project at Princess Juliana International Airport, among other priorities. 

“My goal is to ensure that St. Maarten remains at the centre of the travel industry and rises once more to the top,” said Lambriex. 

The Minister said he had several priorities, including widening the Simpson Bay Bridge to attract and accommodate more mega and gigayachts to the island. 

As for the airport, whose construction continues to see delays, the Minister said it was “unclear why the repairs to PJIA have taken longer than the actual construction of the Airport.”

“Delays in rebuilding the Airport damages St. Maarten’s ability to attract new investments necessary for increasing economic activity ,” he said. 

Lambirex succeeds Acting Tourism Minster Omar Ottley, who had been serving since the resignation former Tourism Minister Roger Lawrence last summer. 

— CJ