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Every year, the Caribbean travel industry gathers in Sint Maarten for one of the region’s largest tourisms & hospitality events SMART, the St. Maarten / St. Martin Annual Regional Tradeshow. More than a business event, SMART brings together hotels, tourism boards, airlines, travel agents and industry partners to strengthen the relationships that keep Caribbean tourism thriving.
Now in its 18th edition, SMART 2026 welcomed its largest attendance to date, creating an exciting atmosphere filled with new opportunities, meaningful conversations and regional collaboration. As always, Winair was proud to be part of the event.
Hosted at the JW Marriott St. Maarten Beach Resort & Spa, our team spent two productive days meeting with travel professionals from across the Caribbean, North America and Europe. The
energy throughout the exhibition floor reflected the continued growth of Caribbean tourism and the shared commitment to making travel throughout the region more connected than ever.
Familiar Faces and New Connections
Throughout the event, we met with travel agents, tour operators and tourism representatives to discuss Winair’s expanding route network, our interline and codeshare partnerships with major international airlines, and the opportunities these create for seamless Caribbean travel.
More importantly, however, SMART was about building relationships. Every conversation offered new ideas, valuable feedback and fresh perspectives on how Winair can continue supporting tourism and regional connectivity.
We also had the pleasure of meeting with several tourism authorities, including representatives from St. Maarten, Saint-Martin, Montserrat, St. Kitts, the British Virgin Islands, Saba and St. Eustatius (Statia).
Together, we explored ways to better align our flight schedules with major events such as Carnival celebrations and discussed initiatives that encourage travel between neighboring islands. One highlight was introducing our new discounted summer roundtrip fares, designed to make island hopping more accessible for both residents and visitors. By making regional travel easier and more affordable, these fares help support local businesses, tourism partners and the wider Caribbean economy.
As the Caribbean’s regional airline, Winair plays a unique role in connecting destinations that larger carriers often don’t serve directly. Events like SMART allow us to work alongside our partners to ensure those connections continue creating opportunities for communities, businesses and travellers alike.
A Team Effort
Behind every successful trade show is a dedicated team, and SMART 2026 was no exception.
Winair’s dedicated Marketing and Commercial team members represented Winair with enthusiasm and professionalism, confidently leading meetings and introducing partners to our latest initiatives. From assisting travel agents with our booking portal to working directly with tourism offices on scheduling and connectivity, our meetings have led to practical opportunities for future collaboration.
Our booth also attracted strong interest throughout the event, creating a welcoming space for both new and longstanding partners to connect with our team. It was encouraging to see so many visitors eager to learn more about Winair and the role we continue to play throughout the region.
65 Years of Connecting the Caribbean
For more than 65 years, Winair has been connecting the Caribbean, bringing people, businesses and communities closer together. That legacy is built on trust, reliability and an unwavering commitment to regional connectivity.
SMART serves as a reminder that behind every flight is a story. It’s a family reuniting after months apart. It’s a traveller discovering a new island for the first time. It’s a business opportunity made possible because reliable regional connections exist.
Those are the journeys that inspire us every day.
Winair encourages the regional hospitality industry to partake yearly by offering promotional fares for SMART participants. This year, for even more incentive, we hosted a blog contest, “What makes traveling though the Caribbean unique”, offering complementary airfare to St. Maarten to the winner.
We’re grateful for every conversation, every new partnership and every opportunity to strengthen the network that connects our islands. We look forward to turning these discussions into new opportunities for our passengers, partners and the Caribbean communities we proudly serve.
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