Regatta partners identify sustainability issues at annual meeting

The St. Maarten Heineken Regatta said it held its annual All Partners Meeting on Thursday 29 October, focusing on sustainable tourism. Representatives of the St. Maarten Tourism Bureau, St. Martin Tourism Department, Windward Island Bank, Flow, Exofor, Budget Marine, Shipwreck Shops, Island 92 Radio, Drywall and hospitality businesses attended, according to the Regatta.

Meg Reilly, the Regatta's marketing chair and sustainability consultant, led a workshop using The Toolbox's ISO 20121:2024 methodology for sustainable events. The Regatta said participants identified traffic congestion, waste management and litter, sewage and water pollution, and poverty as challenges. They discussed public transport options, one-way traffic in Simpson Bay and recycling programmes as possible actions.

The Regatta gave Exofor its 2025 Sustainability Partner Award for supporting a filtered water station, and gave Windward Island Bank its 2026 award for providing reusable water bottles for skippers, staff and volunteers. The Regatta said the water-refill initiative reduced its plastic water bottle procurement by 50% during the 2026 event.

Grant Thornton's Sustainable Tourism in Sint Maarten Report 2026, developed with the Sint Maarten Hospitality & Trade Association, drew on input from more than 200 tourism stakeholders. The report found that 90% of resorts and hotels considered sustainability important to business success, while 75% of vendors intended to invest in sustainability initiatives over the following two years.