Insights & Islands: My Caribbean Classroom Continues

By Matilda Geffen

Our second week in Sint Maarten has come to an end, and it was nothing short of amazing. From conducting and presenting social media audits for our beaches to exploring new islands, we've had so many opportunities to learn more about this place and its culture.

On Monday, we presented social media audits for our assigned beaches. My group's beach is Mullet Bay, which is the closest to our resort. During our audit, we noticed that Mullet Bay doesn’t have a strong social media presence or a consistent voice across platforms. Our group's goal is to help create an active Facebook page that both tourists and locals can use to stay updated on what’s happening around the area. Hopefully, this will help strengthen Mullet Bay’s online presence.

On Tuesday, we revisited Marigot and Philipsburg to explore more and do a little shopping! In Marigot, we walked through a local market near the water that had everything from clothing and jewelry to handmade trinkets. Afterward, we headed to Philipsburg, where I tried a restaurant called “Dutch Blonde” that overlooked the beach. A cruise ship was docked, so we enjoyed people-watching before heading back to Cupecoy.

On Wednesday after class, we went to Grand Case to visit a floating restaurant called Balaou, and it was one of the coolest experiences so far. The restaurant is a bit off the dock, so they picked us up in a small boat and brought us over. It had a kitchen and seating area for food and drinks, plus floating couches for us to hang out on. As we kept hopping on and off the couches, the walkway got super wet, which led to some hilarious wipeouts by the end of the day. We all had so much fun and are already planning to go back one more time before the trip ends.

On Thursday, we conducted primary research through interviews at our beaches. We headed to Mullet Bay and asked locals and tourists questions about their experiences, like what brought them to Mullet Bay specifically and what their overall perceptions of the beach were. The responses are helping us develop our “big idea” for our campaign book and shape the direction of our beach promotion strategy. We found that many people love Mullet Bay for its family-friendly atmosphere and the easy access to food and activities right on the beach.

Friday, we didn’t have class because we took a day trip to St. Barths! We spent the morning shopping and walking around the streets of Gustavia before heading to Shell Beach. The beach was completely covered in tiny shells, which I had never seen before. The views were stunning, and the water was some of the clearest I’ve ever experienced. It was so cool getting to explore another island and notice the differences between Sint Maarten and St. Barths, from architecture to cuisine.

I’m so excited for what’s to come in our next two weeks here in Sint Maarten as we continue to explore, work on our projects, and grow closer as a group!

Balaou!

Shell Beach