Miguel DeWeever sets stage for stakeholder consultation to develop plan of approach for St. Maarten’s Strategic Economic Vision

GREAT BAY--Miguel DeWeever delivered the opening “Setting the Stage” presentation for the Strategic Economic Workshop and Stakeholder Consultations, outlining how this week’s working sessions are intended to help develop a plan of approach for how best to draft St. Maarten’s Strategic Economic Development Plan and long-term economic vision.

DeWeever explained that the consultation is designed around a clear objective: identify the key crossroads facing the country, discuss possible solutions on policy direction and specific actions, and consult stakeholders toward agreement on a way forward. He also emphasized that an economy includes multiple stakeholders with competing interests, and that government’s role is to find balance while ensuring respectful participation and broad input.

He noted that the workshop is primarily geared toward gathering feedback across multiple subject areas so policy writers and advisors can develop stronger policy input for the Strategic Economic Development Plan. The week’s approach uses structured formats including presentations, panel discussions, roundtable statements and questions, and interactive feedback tools.

DeWeever presented key points of departure to guide discussions, including the need for a holistic approach, positioning St. Maarten’s challenges within international, regional, and local context, and learning from external expertise. He also highlighted the risk of tourism as a single-pillar economy, reinforcing the need for diversification, with government acting as facilitator and decision maker.

DeWeever’s presentation further pointed to the realities that come with growth under an open-market model, including expanding businesses and construction, job creation, population increases, migration, and resulting spatial pressures such as traffic, housing, waste, and school capacity, underscoring the need to better manage economic activity alongside development.

Week structure: from crossroads to direction

The consultation agenda is organized by themed working days, each intended to collect targeted input that helps shape the approach for drafting a national strategic economic vision:

• Day 1: Crossroads, setting the stage , discussions cover mixed-use pressures as businesses expand into residential areas, longer operating hours and noise concerns, enforcement limitations, traffic and road network strain, housing affordability, and quality-of-life impacts including family and social life.
• Day 2: Tourism as a mature destination , sessions address investment and permitting realities, visitor segments, marketing strategy, destination impact of vacation rentals compared with traditional hotel business, brand and identity building, service levels, and tourism opportunities and risks, including the role of a tourism master plan.
• Day 3: Policy , participants examine impacts of growth and development, pricing issues, social impact, labor market challenges and solutions, aging and health pressures, environmental and spatial and zoning challenges, cost of doing business and cost of living, and tensions between quality-of-life goals and 24/7 activity.
• Day 4: Diversification , discussions continue around reducing risk and expanding economic pillars.
• Day 5: Orange economy and wrap-up , the agenda highlights culture-linked areas such as agriculture, arts, culinary, and music, with attention to linking these to market conditions and business opportunities, followed by consolidation of major findings and the start of drafting work.

In closing, DeWeever reinforced that aligning tourism identity and strategy is critical, that a single-pillar economy is too risky, and that diversification, incentives, investment, and policy alignment are necessary to solidify and execute the plan. The presentation also outlined next steps after the week, including an expert group consolidating findings, drafting the Strategic Economic Plan, convening a follow-up session to present the draft, revising it based on feedback, and submitting the final plan for approval.

Background

Together with the on-island expert team, these contributors are supporting a working-session approach designed to move from dialogue to direction.

Minister of TEATT Grisha S. Heyliger-Marten emphasized that the consultation is intended to be focused and foundational. She stated that the purpose is to set direction, identify priorities, and establish a strong base for the Strategic Economic Development Plan that will follow. She also noted that stakeholder engagement does not end with this week, but expands beyond it.

The Ministry stressed that stakeholders who are unable to participate throughout the week will not be excluded from the process. As the Strategic Economic Development Plan is drafted with support from the expert team, additional outreach and targeted engagement will take place to ensure broad input, validation, and alignment.

The consultation marks the start of a longer, structured process that prioritizes coordination and implementation as St. Maarten charts its economic future.

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