I completely understand your point Tom while I have not been going to SXM for 20 or 30 yrs every year but I have been to SXM a few times. We did 3 yrs in row back in 2011 and next year will be another 3 in a row over Xmas. After stopping here on cruises for many years we started going to the islands we found interesting for land based vacations.
While I am still a young 60 compared to some of the posters here I am not as arrogant either. Even I have noticed some of your points in my brief time on SXM. The thing is most places are are getting like this in the Caribbean and Mexico. I have mentioned that I am very lucky to be able to take a few vacations every year some I tact on to my business travel which includes Europe and Asia. The thing about Mexico and Caribbean is for us it is easy to travel to because CLT has direct flights but yes cost ARE getting higher on plane fare ( I fly over a 100 flights a year I know) I am lucky to able to use points for around half of my vacation travel unlike most on here and get preferred seats in main cabin for no extra cost so cost are not that bad for me so where I save on flights I spend on accommodations and dinner. We spread are travel around just because of what you mentioned if I go to only the same place every year and do the same thing over and over it does make me look at the things you mention more. XMAS is a time I always know I will not be traveling for work usually there have been exceptions but my wife enjoyed a Xmas in Taiwan once because of it and it only cost me her airfare. We have enjoyed SXM, Cozumel, Nevis, St Kitts and Curacao all over XMAS in the past 15 yrs. I grew up 2 hrs from Myrtle Beach and Hilton Head and went there many times but for the same reasons you mentioned about the growth of SXM so it has be at those places too I have not spent a summer at either in over 20 yrs. Different strokes for different folks right but I do understand your burnout and frustrations. So let me end with this even during China Flu I had to fly for work get special visa for Asia travel do 2 week quarantines but the planes and airports were empty since the restart of Travel it has been a fricking mad house of rude and me too travelers who don't have a clue about the etiquette of travel or being polite. Travel use to be fun now it is a combat zone at least when I travel for work I get combat pay