On behalf of the SHTA, Sint Maarten Hospitality & Trade Association, I would like to welcome you to our home, St. Maarten.

St. Maarten is a uniquely diverse vacation destination with a wealth of culture and activities. From the beaches and water sports to the nightlife and fine dining, there is something here for everyone.

Our local economy is dependent on tourism and as such, the SHTA strives to do our part to ensure that your stay is pleasant and memorable. To this end, the SHTA is very active in education and training as well as environment development and quality control. Much of these efforts would not be possible without the voluntary support to our Dollar-A-Day program by visitors like yourself. We thank you for your support.

We welcome comments and suggestions on what we can do to make your time in St. Maarten even more enjoyable. In the end, if you're not happy, we're not happy.

Sincerely,

Emil Lee
President
St. Maarten Hospitality and Trade Association

If the property that you are staying with is a member of the St. Maarten Hospitality & Trade Association you can participate in the Dollar-A-Day program.

As part of the island's long-term plan, we are investing heavily in our most precious resources-our children and our environment. Training programs, vocational studies and on-the-job training are just part of the activities that we are engaged in to upgrade our product to better serve you. Environmentally, the island is moving towards recycling and protecting our precious beaches and mountains.

We need your help. You will notice a charge of a "Dollar-A-Day" added to your account. This is a voluntary contribution to SHTA's "Dollar-A-Day" fund that will help improve our tourism product and the lives of our children. Your warm generosity and caring will help us make a difference.

The St. Maarten Hospitality & Trade Association

If you would like to have some more information on the St. Maarten Hospitality & Trade Association and its programs please visit our trade website www.shta.com

“Dollar-a-Day” participating properties for the year 2003/2004.

The SHTA invests a large portion of the “Dollar-a-Day” fund into Education, by providing University of St. Maarten scholarships to the staff of its member companies who contribute to the fund. These scholarships cover tuition expenses for associate level courses. The fund also contributes to several seminars and professional enhancement workshops, e.g. “Guest Service Excellence”, as well an environmental clean up, prevention and educational programs on the island to continue to protect our valuable resources.

Education:

• The SHTA has sponsored over 200 employee scholarships at the University of St. Maarten for Guest Excellence programs and furthering their education.
• The “Dollar-a-Day” fund has also sponsored participation of primary school children in the VIERS environmental program on St. Johns, USVI.
• The “Dollar-a-Day” also sponsored the pilot program of CARIBCERT, a certification program initiated by the Caribbean Hotel Association for 16 employees and 4 unemployed room attendants registered at the Labor Office.
• The “Dollar-a-Day” fund sponsored the Cornell leadership course. The Taxi Association Hospitality Training The sponsoring of a line staff educational program with SVH in Curacao. A certified apprentice program for hospitality staff.

Environment:

• The “Dollar-a-Day” has sponsored clean up campaigns
• 300 no littering signs in four different languages
• A Green Room Seminar for environmental certification for hotels
• A contribution towards the Belvedere Cultural Park
• The creation of a beach policy