A new campaign to promote the destination
Last week, the Saint-Martin Tourist Board launched its new campaign to promote the destination. Based on the premise that Saint-Martin is not just about its beaches and landscapes, but also about the experiences it offers, its culture, its people, and its cuisine, it is entitled “ It’s a Feeling ”. A whole programme that plays on emotions !
The campaign was officially unveiled last Friday at the Grand Case Beach Club, in the presence of tourism stakeholders, influencers and the media, in a rather original format. The Tourist Board (OT) had devised a launch event inspired by an aeroplane journey. Each guest was given a slightly different ‘passport’, designed to gather their preferences regarding restaurants, places and other experiences. The responses collected will contribute to the statistics. Participants were then given their boarding passes to make their way to the room, which had been decorated to resemble an aeroplane cabin, accompanied by a charming hostess, our new Miss Saint-Martin, Saint-Barthélemy, Naïla Parotte. The journey into the heart of the new advertising concept could begin.
‘It’s a feeling’: an international tagline
It had been more than ten years since the Tourist Board had launched a campaign on this scale. The message, unveiled at the event, can be summed up in a few words: “Saint-Martin. It’s a Feeling” – “Saint-Martin is an emotion” – to capture an island that, above all, is to be experienced and felt. This, at any rate, is the feedback from visitors, who often struggle to find the words to explain this special attachment to the island, to which they are often loyal when choosing their holiday destination… For Saint-Martin always leaves a lasting impression, even when one has left it behind. The slogan was therefore not chosen at random, and the Tourist Board hopes that everyone will adopt it – including businesses that cater to tourists – so that we can all work together towards the same goal and raise the island’s profile internationally.
Developing this campaign took time, particularly as it involved consulting the local population, tourists, business and professional groups, as well as the tourist boards of neighbouring islands. It was initially intended to be entrusted to an international agency, but in the end it was carried out by local people, who are better placed to understand the spirit and soul of Saint-Martin, including the tourist board’s communications department, responsible for strategy and optimisation across the various markets where the campaign will be rolled out, as well as Thomas Proust and Donovan Trémor for the visuals.
The campaign is set to evolve, showcasing all the aspects and themes that the island can inspire, from romance to gastronomy, and even those that cannot be described, such as dreams and emotions.
Unveiled in early August in several cities across the United States, the campaign will be presented this week in Paris, followed by Canada (Toronto and Montreal). In 2027, it is scheduled to be rolled out in South America and regionally. It will be used at trade fairs in which the Tourist Board participates and on outdoor advertising (bus shelters, pole-top billboards, etc.), and will also feature on promotional merchandise. A media kit will also be designed for tourism stakeholders.
This campaign follows on from a record-breaking 2026 season, and the coming season appears, for the time being, to be following the same trend. As early as the first quarter of 2027, occupancy rates are already showing an increase of more than 50 per cent compared with the previous year. These results now need to be consolidated: the aim of this campaign is to maintain this momentum and help ensure that Saint Martin remains at the very highest level.
