St. Maarten hosts regional conference on vessel surveillance, safer tourism

SIMPSON BAY--The Ministry of Public Health, Social Development and Labor (VSA), in collaboration with the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA), successfully hosted the Regional Caribbean Vessel Surveillance System (CVSS) in Action Conference: Promoting Healthier and Safer Tourism in the Caribbean. The two-day workshop, held September 11–12 at Simpson Bay Resort, brought together health and tourism leaders from across the region to strengthen public health preparedness and safeguard the Caribbean’s tourism product.

In addressing the gathering, Minister of Tourism, Economic Affairs, Transport and Telecommunication (TEATT), Grisha Heyliger-Marten, underscored the critical link between public health and tourism.

“Tourism is our lifeblood, but with growth comes vulnerability. A weak public health system puts tourism at risk, while a strong, data-driven health system protects our visitors, our citizens, and our economy,” Minister Heyliger-Marten said. “This is why we must no longer view health and tourism as separate silos. Instead, we must adopt an integrated approach. St. Maarten is proud to partner with CARPHA to strengthen real-time surveillance and preparedness, ensuring that our destination remains both safe and competitive.”

She highlighted the role of the Caribbean Vessel Surveillance System (CVSS) as a forward-thinking tool that enables authorities to detect, assess, and respond to potential health threats from cruise ships before they reach port. She further emphasized the importance of embedding such systems into national frameworks to protect both residents and visitors.

Minister of VSA, Richinel Brug, welcomed the regional collaboration, noting the shift from reactive to proactive public health strategies.

“We learned valuable lessons during COVID-19. Today, with systems like CVSS, we are prepared to detect threats early, respond swiftly, and ensure the safety of our frontline workers, our residents, and our visitors,” Minister Brug said. “By working together as a region, we remain leaders not only in tourism but also in tourism safety.”

Eva Lista-de Weever, Head of Collective Prevention Services (CPS) St. Maarten, also welcomed delegates, expressing pride in St. Maarten’s role as host country.

“I am so excited that we were tapped as host for this important regional workshop. Over the next two days, we are exchanging ideas to make cruise tourism safer for visitors while safeguarding the health of our residents. One of the outcomes I hope for is greater synchronization across the Caribbean to promote healthier, safer tourism,” she said.

From CARPHA’s leadership, Dr. Lisa Indar, Executive Director of CARPHA, stressed the Caribbean’s unique vulnerability as the world’s most tourism-dependent region.

“Tourism drives our economies, but it can also bring increases in illnesses,” Dr. Indar explained. “Through digitalized surveillance systems and regional guidelines, we can monitor and respond to events that threaten both public health and the tourism sector. Our goal is to elevate Caribbean tourism into healthier, safer tourism.”

Mohamed ElSherbiny, Senior Technical Advisor to CARPHA, explained how the CVSS integrates into CARPHA’s Regional Tourism and Health Program.

“The CVSS is an innovative project that improves surveillance for cruise ship passengers, providing early alerts to ministries of health across the region,” ElSherbiny said. “This workshop brings together health and tourism sectors to strengthen collaboration and ensure both public health safety and economic prosperity.”

The two-day workshop included technical sessions, capacity-building exercises, and engagements with regional chief medical officers, tourism representatives, and cruise industry stakeholders.

𝘐𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘩𝘰𝘵𝘰 𝘔𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘎𝘳𝘪𝘴𝘩𝘢 𝘏𝘦𝘺𝘭𝘪𝘨𝘦𝘳-𝘔𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘦𝘯 𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘢𝘬𝘴 𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘯𝘵, 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 inset(𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 left) 𝘔𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘰𝘧 𝘝𝘚𝘈 𝘙𝘪𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘭 𝘉𝘳𝘶𝘨, 𝘌𝘷𝘢 𝘓𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘢-𝘥𝘦 𝘞𝘦𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳, 𝘏𝘦𝘢𝘥 𝘰𝘧 𝘊𝘰𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘗𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘚𝘦𝘳𝘷𝘪𝘤𝘦𝘴 (𝘊𝘗𝘚), 𝘋𝘳. 𝘓𝘪𝘴𝘢 𝘐𝘯𝘥𝘢𝘳, 𝘌𝘹𝘦𝘤𝘶𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘋𝘪𝘳𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘰𝘳 𝘰𝘧 𝘊𝘈𝘙𝘗𝘏𝘈 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘔𝘰𝘩𝘢𝘮𝘦𝘥 𝘌𝘭𝘚𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘣𝘪𝘯𝘺, 𝘚𝘦𝘯𝘪𝘰𝘳 𝘛𝘦𝘤𝘩𝘯𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘭 𝘈𝘥𝘷𝘪𝘴𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘰 𝘊𝘈𝘙𝘗𝘏𝘈.

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