The Central Bank of Curaçao and Sint Maarten (CBCS) has released a study finding that Sint Maarten has attracted less foreign direct investment (FDI) since 2011 than other tourism-intensive Caribbean countries, with average FDI inflows relative to GDP consistently trailing regional peers. The analysis links weaker inflows to the island’s mature stage in the tourism life cycle, suggesting the slowdown in new investment is structural rather than a sign of policy failure. The paper, authored by economist Jason Lista, combines conventional FDI analysis with the Tourism Area Life Cycle model and notes that a mature tourism industry may limit new large-scale tourism investment. It recommends that investment strategies account for saturation by reorienting tourism toward higher-value segments and diversifying into complementary areas such as infrastructure renewal, marine tourism and agrotourism. The study also calls for stronger statistical capacity, including expanded FDI time-series data and refined tourism statistics to better account for the French side of the island (Saint Martin). The full working paper is available on the CBCS research website.
Central Bank of Sint Maarten & Curacao 2025-10-03
Central Bank of Curaçao and Sint Maarten study finds Sint Maarten has lagged peers in foreign direct investment since 2011
The Central Bank of Curaçao and Sint Maarten released a study showing Sint Maarten has attracted less foreign direct investment (FDI) since 2011 compared to other Caribbean nations, due to its mature tourism industry. The study suggests reorienting investment strategies towards higher-value tourism segments and diversifying into infrastructure renewal and marine tourism. It also recommends enhancing statistical capacity for more comprehensive FDI and tourism data.