SINT MAARTEN (GREAT BAY) - The Department of Statistics (STAT) reports continued positive developments in the tourism sector for the second quarter of 2025.
Airport Passenger Arrivals Up
Because of the change in methodology, direct comparisons with data from previous years cannot be made.
To maintain some level of continuity during this transition and following the advice of PJIAE, STAT used the January to December 2024 airport arrival figures as a baseline, adjusted by deducting 10% to account for resident travelers. This adjustment is consistent with historical Immigration Office data collected over the past decade.
It should be noted that PJIAE has not traditionally served as the Department’s primary source for visitor arrival data, since their system provides only aggregated passenger counts and does not differentiate between residents and non-residents.
Although the methodologies differ, the adjusted 2024 estimate (using a deduction of 10% accounting for St. Maarten residents) provides a reasonable benchmark for approximate comparison. Without such an adjustment, only the total number of visitor arrivals in 2025 could be presented, without the context of growth figures or year-over-year changes.
Given the above-mentioned, St. Maarten recorded 209,876 airport passenger arrivals in Q2 2025. This represents a 16.9% increase compared to 179,552 for the same period in 2024.
This growth underscores the improved accuracy and reliability of arrival records, which are now based on consistently applied criteria that exclude Sint Maarten residents, transit passengers, and transfer passengers. STAT uses these figures as the official benchmark for passenger movements through Princess Juliana International Airport (PJIAE).
Cruise Passengers Arrivals Up The cruise sector also posted similar results in Q2 2025. Preliminary data show that 236,391 cruise passengers arrived between April and June 2025, an increase of 14% compared to the 207,428 recorded during the same quarter in 2024.
This growth underscores St. Maarten’s position as a thriving port of call in the Caribbean.
Tourism Sector Outlook Together, both air and cruise tourism indicators highlight a healthy and growing industry. Passenger movements provide insight into overall visitor traffic through the airport, while cruise arrivals reinforce St. Maarten’s strength as a hub for day visitors.
