Travel Survey

We received a brief survey from La Vista, accompanied by this email:


Dear Owner!


We hope you are doing well and are looking forward to your vacation! It has been quite lonely here without you, and the crystal blue seas and sandy beaches and culinary delights await you!

As the world has changed quite a bit due to the Corona virus, we would like some information from you regarding your upcoming vacation.

For all entry requirements into St. Maarten, please check www.stmaartenehas.com. Here you will find all updated information.

We recommend you fill in their document, and print it so you can show this at the airport, along with your negative covid19 test that currently has to be taken 72 hours prior to your arrival in St. Maarten.

As this can change, we recommend you check this website a few weeks before your departure.

As the airlines have had to make some adjustments also to their flight schedule, we would like to ask you to fill out this questionnaire ( a pdf attachment) so we can help our tourism office help negotiate with the airlines and request more flights.

Please open the attachment, fill out, save to your computer and send back to us.

We appreciate your help and look forward to your return !



Regards from Sunny St. Maarten


The survey asked if we were coming for our usual weeks this year, and if not, why. The 72-hour test requirement was one of the options for why. I completed the survey indicating that we were still uncertain, because of the test requirements. I sent an email back with the survey, suggesting that more time and/or allowing the rapid saliva test would make it much easier for more of us to come. I think if more of us express our concerns to the hotel and timeshare management, they will be able to convey these concerns to the tourism office and perhaps have some influence on the government. It certainly can't hurt.

I think changing to a five day prior would be a great help. Same test....same reliability....not keen on the retest though.

From what I've read, the saliva test is at least as reliable as the nasal swab, if not moreso.

it would so beneficial to increase tourism on this wonderful island

according to that email it says 72 hours prior to arrival. Its really 72 hours prior to departure of your last flight to sxm.

Thanks for something at least is a bit more positive , please , thanks. We all have to live . We had good times in past , travelling all over but not anymore but no regrets. That is why sometimes we hear people doing crazy stuff right within Family and we wonder why . Not all of us can deal this stress . Peace.

I would agree with this. The nasal test is not as reliable as initially indicated.

Glad LaVista is reaching out to owners. I really don't think a lot of the island businesses understand the hoops one may have to jump through to get there and support the island.

There needs to be input from business owners to the policy setters to correct the difficulty to bring tourism back. To darn difficult now to travel there.

Correct, and I think many business owners are unaware of the ever-changing and confusing requirements. Kind of like in OH, they keep moving the goalposts for a lot of things and people are getting fed up and just not going out much.

One would think any concerned business person would be on top of this.

just chiming in on the covid test within three days. I totally agree that 3 days is insane, and almost impossible for so many people. I personally have to go to a sleep study next week in our local hospital. Second time in a month i had to do this, but I had to go to the same hospital this morning, to take another covid test for next Thursday. Was told it has to be taken within a week of appt. I don't understand if a hospital is requiring a person to take a test within a week, and they feel safe with that time frame, how can a country like SXM, think that we can get a result that they will accept with 72 hours? I TOTALLY agree with a reasonable timeframe....but if a hospital can't get a result in less than five or so days, what does that say about an outside lab get the results with 72 hours, especially as tourism hopefully (Please God) be increasing as season approaches. I do hope that the Government of SXM remains vigilant on the spread of the disease, but gives a more reasonable time frame for testing.

so just to clarify scubaman, my flite leaves at 6 a.m. from bosotn and flys thru FLL duz the 72 hour clock start ticking from boston or fll on the day of the flite????

....from the departure of the flight to SXM

While the email does incorrectly state that the test needs to be performed within 72 hours of arrival instead of your flight, it also directs us to the official government website and urges us to follow that site for changing requirements. While social media and forums such as this are a great place for tourism information and discussion, travel requirements are definitely something that need to be obtained from official sources. Relying on anything other than that official information is foolish.

100% correct.

From your last connecting flight to SXM,

We are also LaVista owners but didn’t receive this survey. We were supposed to be there this past May, but due to COVID now scheduled for April 2021.

This was sent to people whose weeks are coming up in the next couple of months.