Despite Tourism-Driven Economy, No St. Maarten Students Choose Hospitality Studies

GREAT BAY--While 25 students from St. Maarten began their studies in the Netherlands this week, none have opted for careers in tourism or hospitality-related fields. It should be noted that it is unclear if any of the students heading elsewhere other than the Netherlands have chosen to follow hospitality studies.

Not a single student in this year’s cohort applied for study financing in areas such as hospitality management, culinary arts, hotel operations, or event planning. Instead, the list of approved studies leans heavily toward technology, health sciences, and business administration.

The absence of hospitality-focused studies raises several questions about generational shifts, economic perception, and long-term career planning among young St. Maarteners.

One possible explanation lies in the perceived instability and volatility of the tourism sector. The COVID-19 pandemic exposed the vulnerability of tourism-dependent economies, especially in the Caribbean. For students seeking stable, adaptable, and high-demand career paths, fields like ICT, medicine, and finance may appear more future-proof.

Additionally, hospitality careers—despite being central to the island's economy—are often associated with long hours, lower wages, and limited upward mobility compared to the tech, health, and finance sectors. Students may be seeking careers that offer global flexibility, digital relevance, and a broader impact beyond the island's borders.

This trend also points to a disconnect between national economic needs and educational aspirations. While tourism sustains the economy, it may not be inspiring students as a long-term career path. If this pattern continues, the country may face a shortage of qualified hospitality professionals in the future, further impacting service quality and local ownership within the industry.

The issue could also reflect a gap in career guidance at the secondary school level, where students may not be fully exposed to the range of innovative, leadership, and management opportunities within the tourism sector. It raises the question of whether hospitality is being presented merely as a frontline job or as a viable and rewarding professional career.

Another strong factor influencing students’ disinterest in hospitality-related studies is the lack of visible, high-level success stories within the industry that feature St. Maarteners. For many young people, career ambition is shaped by representation.

When they look at the hospitality sector on the island, what they often see are locals occupying entry-level or mid-tier roles, front desk staff, servers, housekeeping, not general managers, executive chefs, or directors of hotel operations. Many of argued that this absence of local faces in leadership positions sends a quiet but powerful message that career advancement in the industry is limited or inaccessible for them.

The danger is that this perception significantly impacts how students envision their future. Without clear examples of St. Maarteners reaching the top of the hospitality ladder, the sector feels less aspirational and more like a fallback option. As a result, students gravitate toward fields where they believe upward mobility is possible and where they can see themselves becoming decision-makers, innovators, or entrepreneurs.

The lack of representation in hospitality leadership, whether real or perceived, acts as a deterrent, one that must be addressed if the island wants to inspire the next generation to view the tourism industry as a viable and fulfilling long-term career.

If the hospitality industry is to remain viable and locally led, it may be time to rethink how it is marketed to young people. A modern, tech-integrated vision of tourism, one that connects with digital marketing, sustainability, AI-driven guest services, and experience design, could help reframe the sector in ways that appeal to the next generation.

Here are some practical suggestions the government of St. Maarten can consider to shift student perception and strengthen local participation in high-level hospitality careers:

1. 𝐂𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐚 𝐇𝐨𝐬𝐩𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩 𝐒𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐥𝐚𝐫𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐦

Offer targeted study financing or full scholarships specifically for hospitality management, hotel administration, and tourism innovation.

2. 𝐄𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐡 𝐚 𝐇𝐨𝐬𝐩𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐅𝐚𝐬𝐭-𝐓𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐤 𝐈𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩 𝐏𝐢𝐩𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐞

Partner with hotels, restaurants, and tourism operators to create structured internship programs that give local students early exposure to executive roles, operations strategy, and back-of-house management, not just frontline service.

3. 𝐇𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐋𝐨𝐜𝐚𝐥 𝐒𝐮𝐜𝐜𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐒𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬

Actively promote and celebrate St. Maarteners who have achieved success in the hospitality and tourism sectors, both locally and abroad. These stories can be shared through school presentations, government media campaigns, and career days, helping students visualize a path to leadership.

4. 𝐑𝐞𝐪𝐮𝐢𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐄𝐧𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐜𝐞 𝐋𝐨𝐜𝐚𝐥 𝐓𝐚𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐃𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐨𝐩𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐢𝐧 𝐇𝐨𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐬

When issuing or renewing operating licenses for hotels, the government can require a local workforce development plan, including the promotion of St. Maarteners into supervisory and executive positions. This would help institutionalize career mobility for locals.

5. 𝐃𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐨𝐩 𝐚 𝐓𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐦 𝐈𝐧𝐧𝐨𝐯𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐈𝐧𝐜𝐮𝐛𝐚𝐭𝐨𝐫

Launch a government-supported incubator program that helps young people develop hospitality-related business ideas, such as tour operations, boutique lodging concepts, food and beverage services, or tourism tech solutions. This supports entrepreneurship and gives students a broader view of what hospitality careers can entail.

6. 𝐑𝐞𝐛𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐇𝐨𝐬𝐩𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐚𝐬 𝐚 𝐇𝐢𝐠𝐡-𝐈𝐦𝐩𝐚𝐜𝐭 𝐂𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐫 𝐒𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐨𝐫

Run a modern rebranding campaign, aimed at schools and young professionals, that reframes tourism not as a fallback, but as a dynamic sector involving technology, marketing, logistics, finance, sustainability, and global trends. Focus on the skills and creativity required to thrive in the industry.

7. 𝐈𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐇𝐨𝐬𝐩𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩 𝐌𝐨𝐝𝐮𝐥𝐞𝐬 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐨 𝐒𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐨𝐥 𝐂𝐮𝐫𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐮𝐥𝐚

Incorporate modules on tourism management, cultural heritage, guest experience design, and service innovation into secondary education, especially in vocational streams. This helps expose students early on to the business and strategy side of hospitality.

As it stands, the 2025 cohort of study financing recipients may be sending a subtle but important message: young people are looking to the future, and if tourism is to be part of that future, the industry must evolve in how it engages them.

‍