The Ministry of Tourism, Economic Affairs, Traffic & Telecommunications (TEATT) has released its One-Year Overview for 2024–2025, outlining a year defined by structure, strategic focus, and stability during a period of limited financial resources and significant inherited challenges.
Upon assuming office, the Ministry faced one of the smallest discretionary budgets in government, longstanding contractual obligations, outdated systems, and operational bottlenecks across multiple divisions. Despite these constraints, TEATT delivered a productive first year guided by the R4 Effect; a framework that reshaped outdated processes, rebuilt institutional credibility, restructured service delivery, and reformed policies to support modernization and long-term national sustainability.
A Shift Toward Fundamentals and Structural Change
PHILIPSBURG:--- The Ministry emphasized that the past year was not driven by optics or noise, but by addressing root causes and building systems that last. What began years ago as a call for accountability has since become a structured reform agenda grounded in compliance, transparency, and economic positioning.
While many results are not immediately visible, TEATT noted that meaningful change takes time. The Ministry intentionally shifted away from temporary fixes that keep the country in recurring cycles and instead committed to solutions that reduce the cost of living, strengthen governance, and improve service delivery in the long term.
Key Highlights from TEATT’s First Year
Despite financial and operational constraints, the Ministry delivered significant advancements across its mandate, including:
- Strengthened stakeholder confidence through structured consultations and renewed partnerships.
- Strategic planning for 2026–2028, including multi-year budgeting with TEATT’s management team.
- Expansion of Country Package E6 to include tourism projects and a national economic strategy.
- Launch of the Agri-Business Academy, with participants gaining access to 2% micro-loans for MSME development.
- Advancement of cannabis and gaming legislation.
- Major cleanup of licensing backlogs and modernization of policies to support digitization.
- Public transportation reform, including reintroduction of confirmation processes and drafting of a new policy.
- Strengthened MSME support through SEDC and the Chamber of Commerce.
- Increased international visibility through Public-Private marketing initiatives, partnerships with OTAs, FAM trips and Content Creators/ Social media Influencers from abroad.
- Expanded airlift for 2025–2026, including new service by Southwest and Contour Airlines.
- Strengthened cruise sector engagement with Port St. Maarten and FCCA.
- Progress on tourism product development, including the Tourism Authority, the Philipsburg Beautification Masterplan, and the Soualiga Marketplace.
- Stabilization of Carnival with subsidy support and long-term MOU development.
- Support for Festivals & Events such as the Soul Beach Festival to reduce seasonality.
These accomplishments were achieved while executing the 2024 budget under inherited commitments and managing the 2025 budget with strategic prioritization of limited resources.
Aligned With the 2024–2028 Governing Program
The One-Year Overview confirms that TEATT’s work remained fully aligned with the Governing Program’s pillars of:
- Economic growth and diversification
- Tourism expansion and product development
- MSME sustainability and investment-readiness
- Public sector reform, transparency, and good governance
- Infrastructure modernization and data-driven decision-making
The Ministry notes that it stayed on course—not straying, not reacting, but implementing.
Challenges and TEATT’s Response
The Ministry acknowledged several realities affecting national progress, including a constrained budget not designed by the current administration, legacy backlogs across government, rising public expectations, global economic volatility, and the need to grow tourism while pushing diversification.
Rather than being deterred, TEATT focused on:
- Rebuilding structure where systems were outdated or weak
- Advancing projects that drive long-term economic value
- Delivering wins without overspending by reallocating resources
- Supporting MSME and tourism development even with lean staffing
- Strengthening Public–Private Partnerships to restore trust and transparency
TEATT’s 2026 Theme: Forward By Design
The Ministry announced Forward By Design as the strategic theme for 2026.
This approach reflects TEATT’s commitment to shaping St. Maarten’s future skillfully and wisely, through evidence-based leadership and long-term planning rather than reactive decision-making.
Forward By Design emphasizes:
- Stronger foundations
- Better execution
- Measurable outcomes
- Data-driven decisions
- Improved service delivery
- New tourism products
- A more competitive business climate
- Enhanced investment readiness
It marks TEATT’s transition from stabilization to acceleration.
A Year of Foundation - A Future of Delivery
The One-Year Overview concludes that TEATT’s first year was about cleaning up what was inherited, restoring order where it was missing, and strengthening the systems that anchor the country’s economy.
The Ministry reaffirmed that long-term transformation requires patience and collective effort, and emphasized that the work continues.
The Minister concluded by saying that, “The foundation is stronger, the direction is clear, and TEATT remains committed to delivering meaningful, lasting progress for the people of St. Maarten; because only together can the country move forward. “It time for the People!”