Interest expressed in St. Maarten at the 2025 Annapolis Sailboat Show

GREAT BAY--Strong interest in St. Maarten was recorded at the 2025 Annapolis Sailboat Show, with sailors and yacht owners seeking details on cruising routes, berthing, provisioning, and charter options. Many visitors said they plan to visit with their own yachts or book charters in St. Maarten’s waters, prompting follow up discussions on logistics and marine services.

The St. Maarten Marine Trades Association (SMMTA), in collaboration with the St. Maarten Tourist Bureau (STB), represented St. Maarten at the Annapolis Sailboat Show this past weekend. With support from key sponsors including Budget Marine, Island Water World, FKG, Bobby’s Marina, Nomad Marine Solutions, and David Walters Yachts, St. Maarten brought its marine-tourism proposition directly to sailors, boat owners, and charter prospects at one of the United States’ premier boating events.

The Annapolis Sailboat Show is widely recognized as one of the largest and most influential sailboat shows in the U.S. — the Fall edition alone features a fleet of some 155 boats and hosts hundreds of exhibitors across marine gear, yacht brokers, charter firms, and destination marketing.  Attendance for the combined sail and power boat shows in past years has reached approximately 50,000 or more visitors. The show draws attendees from across the U.S. and internationally, including industry decision-makers, charterers, vessel owners, and destination marketers.

St. Maarten’s booth was strategically situated in the Vacation Basin, among numerous sailing destinations, charter exhibitors, and marine service providers. This gave the island direct exposure to a concentrated audience of active sailors and boat owners seeking new cruising grounds, charter options, or expansion of their travel plans.

Over the show’s four days, the St. Maarten booth saw consistent foot traffic. Many visitors expressed curiosity about visiting St. Maarten with their own yachts, while others indicated interest in chartering in SXM waters. Several attendees mentioned they were already planning trips to the island—or had visited in the past—and were pleased to reconnect with St. Maarten as a destination.

“Our presence reasserted that beyond being a leading vacation destination, St. Maarten is a world-class maritime hub where sailors, yacht owners, and charter guests can find first-class services, natural beauty, and we invite you to explore,” said May-Ling Chun, Director of Tourism for St. Maarten.

The combined presence of SMMTA and STB enabled meaningful conversations about infrastructure needs, cruising logistics, berthing, provisioning, and charter support. The show also allowed the Island’s representatives to gauge what potential visitors view as priorities and constraints when considering Caribbean cruising, and more specifically regarding St. Maarten.

Gaby Eman, representing Island Water World and the SMMTA, reflected on the experience: “Participating in the Annapolis Sail Boat Show was an incredibly rewarding experience — it allowed us not only to showcase the island’s thriving marine industry and its wide range of trade and service opportunities, but also to connect directly with a wide variety of potential customers and industry professionals. The enthusiasm we encountered reaffirmed the island’s potential as a dynamic hub for marine commerce, yacht services, and sustainable blue economy growth.”

The success of St. Maarten’s presence in Annapolis underscores the island’s potential to expand its visibility among the U.S. sailing and charter market. Moving ahead, SMMTA and STB plan to follow up on leads, refine promotional materials, and evaluate attendance for next year’s Annapolis Sailboat Show. The insights gained will also inform efforts to strengthen marine infrastructure—berthing, services, logistics, and marketing—to better match the expectations of international cruising sailors and charter clients.

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