Tourism

The Government of Montserrat, through the Montserrat Tourism Authority (MTA), has reaffirmed its commitment to expanding the island’s tourism reach following a successful participation in the 17th St. Maarten/St. Martin Annual Regional Tradeshow (SMART 2026), held from 23–26 June 2026 at the JW Marriott St. Maarten Beach Resort & Spa. Representing Montserrat at the region’s premier tourism marketplace were Permanent Secretary in the Office of the Premier and Deputy Chair of the Montserrat Tourism Authority, Ms. Camille Thomas; Market Development Officer, Ms. Cherise Aymer, and Tourism Officer, Ms. Shaynae Taylor-Lee from the Montserrat Tourism Authority. SMART 2026 brought together tourism professionals, industry leaders, tour operators, travel agents, destination management companies, suppliers and media representatives from across the Caribbean and key international markets. This year’s event recorded its highest participation to date, with 57 buyer companies, an increase from 51 in 2025, while supplier participation grew from 44 to 62 companies. Vendor participation also increased from 20 to 30 businesses, with delegates representing 27 countries. During the days of pre-scheduled business meetings, the Montserrat delegation conducted 35 business-to-business appointments with tour operators, travel agencies, travel platforms and tourism partners from St. Maarten/St. Martin, the United States, the Netherlands, Spain and the Dominican Republic. Among the organizations engaged were Karibik Tours, Going Places Travel, ABC Travel, Winair, Island Style Vacations, Trip.com, Seagrape Tours, Itinerarium Travel, and the organizers of the St. Maarten Heineken Regatta. The delegation also met with representatives from regional tourism organizations, including the St. Maarten Tourism Bureau, Anguilla Tourist Board, and Statia Tourism, to discuss opportunities for collaboration, regional marketing and multi-destination travel initiatives. One of the highlights of the show was the continued strengthening of Montserrat’s relationship with the St. Maarten Tourism Bureau and Winair. Building on discussions held during SMART, both destinations are already collaborating on their first joint promotional initiative, which is scheduled to be launched later this year. The partnership is expected to enhance destination visibility within the region while encouraging increased travel between St. Maarten and Montserrat. The meetings provided an important platform to strengthen existing relationships, establish new partnerships and position Montserrat as a must-visit destination for nature, culture and soft adventure experiences. Discussions focused on increasing destination awareness, developing travel packages, expanding market access and identifying collaborative marketing opportunities that will contribute to sustainable growth within the tourism sector. Throughout the event, the Montserrat Tourism Authority showcased the destination through the distribution of destination brochures and branded promotional items, including reusable bags, luggage tags, key rings and coasters. Delegates also participated in a prize draw for the opportunity to win return flights for two to Montserrat, via WINAIR, generating considerable interest in the destination. Permanent Secretary in the Office of the Premier and Deputy Chair Montserrat Tourism Authority, Ms. Camille Thomas welcomed the outcomes of the trade show. “SMART continues to be one of the Caribbean’s most valuable tourism networking platforms, and Montserrat’s participation this year has been extremely productive. We had meaningful discussions with travel trade partners who expressed genuine interest in expanding their knowledge of our destination and identifying opportunities to include Montserrat within their travel offerings. I am especially encouraged by the new partnerships that were established and the synergies being built with the St. Maarten Tourism Bureau and Winair, with whom we are already developing a collaborative promotional initiative for later this year. The connections made throughout SMART will be actively followed up in the coming days and weeks as we work to convert these discussions into tangible opportunities that will benefit Montserrat’s tourism industry and economy.” In addition to the business appointments, Market Development Officer Ms. Cherise Aymer and Tourism Officer Ms. Shaynae Taylor-Lee participated in several radio interviews and were also featured on TV15 St. Maarten, highlighting Montserrat’s tourism product, upcoming events and unique visitor experiences to audiences across St. Maarten and the wider region. Participation in SMART 2026 forms part of the Montserrat Tourism Authority’s ongoing strategy to increase destination visibility, strengthen relationships with the regional and international travel trade, and drive sustainable visitor growth through strategic partnerships and targeted destination marketing initiatives. The Office of the Premier and the Montserrat Tourism Authority remain committed to working collaboratively with travel trade partners, airlines, regional tourism organizations and the private sector to position Montserrat as the Caribbean’s premier nature and soft adventure destination.

SVG Air’s Twin Otter aircraft will resume service to Montserrat at the end of this month. This announcement from founder and CEO of SVG Air, Paul Gravel. Speaking on the “What’s on Your Mind” radio Programme Tuesday morning, Mr Gravel explained the challenges faced which affected their service to Montserrat. He said a main challenge was a delay in corrosion repair on the Twin otter Aircraft. “Well, the Twin Otter, that is going to be back at the end of this month, it has had some major delays because we had to remove the wing and repair corrosion internally. And to do that, you have to remove 4,000 rivets, take the wing apart, replace a lot of the longer arms and spars in the wing. Gravel says a shortage of rivets has compounded the problem. “The company that  makes the rivets burnt to the ground in February of 2025. So there’s a worldwide rivet shortage. And the manufacturer of the wing is flying all over the world, repairing wings for the same problems we have, which is corrosion because the Twin Otters primarily used in saltwater conditions….. he’s very busy and he’s the only one that can do the final repair on the aircraft. So we’ve been waiting for him for two months. So it’s, it’s been very challenging. It’s been a very expensive exercise. We’ve, we’re about a million dollars into it so far. By the end of this month, it should be parked in Antigua to start back our service to Montserrat.” Mr Gravel also notes SVG Air’s current lack of Islander pilots. He said pilots are currently being trained, but explains that challenges are being encountered in the licensing process.