Tourism News

Saba celebrates tourism with new materials, essay contest

September 26, 2008

"It's the island's uniqueness that is its main attraction," says Head of Tourism Glenn Holm. Holm is convinced this quality will continue to bring in tourists regardless of current economic uncertainties.

This confidence is expressed in the seven pallets of new promotional materials Holm has just received. The cache, funded by the Dutch "Quick Wins" program, includes folders, posters, brochures, postcards, and DVDs. All attest to the special character of the island: it's quaint villages contrasting with world-class diving; it's well-kept trails which seem to lead through a fairy forest, but with a cappuccino within shouting distance... the distinctiveness that makes Saba's five square miles a very different Caribbean experience.

Holm will besiege St. Maarten with the new materials, hoping to catch more regional and local traffic for short side trips to "The Unspoiled Queen." All Saba tourist businesses will also have a full supply to hand out and mail to potential visitors.

International Tourism Day will be noted on Saba by a contest for Saba Comprehensive School students. The tourist office has asked students to write an essay on why tourists should visit the island and include a drawing or photo. Awards to the top three winners will be given out at Monday morning's school assembly. With such a small island, every one is in fact in the tourism business including school children.

Holm is aware that attention must be paid that users do not become destroyers, and the island relies on the Saba Conservation Foundation (SCF) to make sure tourists understand conservation etiquette. The SCF is continually improving its product: the current 35 dive sites will be increased, and the 14 trails will also be expanded.

Holm said that a study is currently under way to investigate more closely what the tourism market is doing and which tourism development strategies are appropriate for Saba. A proper "carrying capacity" study has not been undertaken, and Holm realizes that it would be helpful in guiding future developments.

The number of tourists to Saba has held steady the last years at about 24,000. But numbers can be deceiving, Holm pointed out, since tourists appear to be staying longer. In addition, Saba's second economic pillar, the medical school, brings in parents, friends, and others who visit the island, but may not be counted as tourists.

In June of this year, about 50% of the tourists chose to arrive by boat, the others by air. Two ferries service Saba: the Edge (leaving St. Maarten five days a week) and the Dawn II (leaving Saba three days a week). Recent increases in Winair fares and baggage charges will not deter tourists seeking something really different, Holm argues.

For stay-overs there is a choice between two "backpacker" hotels at about $50 a night, luxury accommodations in the $400 plus range, and boutique offerings in between, including plenty of rental villas and cottages. There are plenty of restaurant choices, also in a wide range from local take out to pizza to French cuisine with accompanying wine list.

The island's three dive shops are pleased with the bookings for the coming season. Barbara Tooten of Saba Divers/Scout's Place said that they had expected more customers from Europe, where the Euro is strong, and this is born out by current reservations. Cheri and Tony Waterfield, new owners of Saba Deep, are looking forward to their first high season in the business and said that it is starting to fill in for the holiday season. The couple is hard at work getting The Inn Too Deep, their restaurant adjoining the Fort Bay dive shop, redecorated in time.

Lynn Costenaro, whose Dive Center Sea Saba usually caters to North Americans, also said that the upcoming season looks strong. Costenaro is busy preparing for October's "Sea and Learn Program" which brings international naturalists to the island to lecture and lead field exercises for tourists and locals.

Holm said that this special event, in its fifth year as a low season tourist draw, has not yet shown a significant increase in tourists numbers for the month of October, but "these things can take time to build" he said. The program, which will be covered by some international dive magazines, may also bring in tourists at other times of the year as it portrays the island as working hard to conserve and protect its landscape. Eco-tourism is a growing draw for today's visitors.

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