PHILIPSBURG--The amount of visitors from the Canadian market continues to grow and is poised to further increase when St. Maarten launches its branding initiative in that country later this year.

Arrival figures for the first half of 2010 show an increase of 7.5 per cent (19,849) over 2009 (18,454) for Canadian visitors. Canada and the United States (US) are St. Maarten's largest source markets.

Following a successful launch in the Netherlands recently, albeit with a different twist, the branding is scheduled to be launched in Canada in September. Julie Lepsetz of Meca Communications, St. Maarten's representation firm in Canada, recently said the biggest strategy is going to be focussing on "where we would get the biggest bang for the buck from a lift perspective."

"This means we would be focussing on Ontario and Quebec markets. We're looking at two events in September, one in Toronto and one in Montreal, with our focus on tour operator, travel agent and trade media," she said. "

The overall strategy in Canada will be the same as that of the US, which is to set the destination apart for Canadian visitors, who are mainly interested in the Dutch/French aspect of the island.

Also contributing to the growth is the increase of WestJet's service to St. Maarten to year-round.

The inaugural WestJet flight 2652 touched down at the Princess Juliana International Airport in November 2009 with 116 passengers. This airline flew between Toronto and St. Maarten three times per week, non-stop, until April 29, 2010. Flight time on each leg was about 4.5 hours.

With this year-round service, WestJet continues to fly to St. Maarten once a week, on Sundays, with additional calls during the high season.

"We are pleased with the number of guests using south-bound and north-bound service. It is a mixture of leisure and business, with travellers visiting friends and family in Canada and on the island.

There is a large Caribbean population in the Greater Toronto area, and we know they appreciate the opportunity to return home via WestJet," Public Relations Manager Robert Palmer said.