French Flair Meets Dutch Charm: Saint Martin Turns Heads in Toronto

Welkom! Bienvenue! You’re most likely to hear these two languages – Dutch and French – when you arrive on the tiny island of Saint Martin.

Part of the Leeward Islands of the Lesser Antilles in the Caribbean, the tiny land mass is really two separate countries.

The French side is called Saint Martin and the Dutch part is called Sint Maartin.

Despite sharing a border, there’s no passport control. Just a symbolic monument sits there to signify the close-yet-casual relationship France and the Netherlands share as they cohabit this tiny land mass since 1648. 

So, it’s no surprise to find their two separate tourist boards would join forces to promote this unique duo-nation as a vacation destination to Canadians.

On Tuesday night (Oct. 27), a dinner event was held at the swanky and hip Bisha Hotel in downtown Toronto for travel advisors to promote the unique experience of holidaying on Saint Martin. 

“It’s really like little Canada,” said Marjan Schippers, Consul General of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Toronto, in her opening remarks to the group during dinner.

Because of the link with the Netherlands and France, it has a special touch and feel to it, she said, referring to the peaceful co-habitation of two cultures.

After dinner, she spoke to Travel Market Report Canada about other virtues of this island nation.

“They have very good health care and a good legal system. Imagine if you’re in a country and something happens, you don’t want to be stuck in an isolated environment. Safety and security is very good,” she said.

Martine Russet, Deputy Consul of France in Toronto, also spoke of why the language and culture would appeal to Canadians.

“It’s a step away to a different culture. Within a few hours, you have a mixture of what you have in Canada, both English and French. But with a bit more sunshine and relaxation,” she said.

And as the U.S.-Canada tariff war continues, and with Canada exploring new business relationships, Saint Martin could very well be in a position to partner.

“They serve as a good hub for companies to settle because of the good legal environment,” said Schippers. “For businesses, its a good solid stable place to be.”

The villa life

One entreprenurial Canadian couple attending the event, Doriana Zohil-Morton and her husband David Morton, have been operating a villa rental business in Saint Martin since they fell in love with the island when they first visited more than 20 years ago.

They represent more than 200 properties on their site, maccaribbeanvillas.com.

“One of the biggest misconceptions about renting a villa is people think it’s very expensive,” the couple told Travel Market Report Canada after dinner.

But if an all-inclusive booking at a resort for one person would cost $3,000, and you’re going with a group of eight friends, you would be paying $24,000.

Whereas a private four-bedroom villa on two acres could be the more affordable option, they explained.

The couple said their properties are popular with multi-generational groups. An entire family can stay under one roof and many are often repeat customers.

The properties in their rental portfolio also includes ultra-luxurious dwellings that cater to superstar athletes and their families and other celebrities seeking privacy, such as one Boss lady, Diana Ross.

If you think such amenities come with too-steep price tags, David Morton reminded us that the the off-season can bring discounts of up to 50 per cent off.

The rentals are also popular with wedding parties. Large groups flying down to celebrate such events can easily find numerous options when it comes to getting to Saint Martin.

The island is served by Canadian airlines from Montreal and Toronto. Air Canada, Air Transat, and WestJet (inclusive of Sunwing Vacations) all offer direct service, with some featuring daily flights.