Mélange Travel & Lifestyle Magazine April 2018 | Page 518

Photo Credit: Cees Timmers Photography
Genuine hospitality with warm friendly faces
where people says, “hi” “hello” “good morning” or
“good afternoon” without knowing your name sets
Statia apart from the rest. That welcoming feeling
you get once on our little Island. That sense of
belonging and becoming one with the locals or
natives while still enjoying peace and tranquillity.
I believe this is what sets Statia apart from the rest.
What impression of the island do you
hope visitors will leave with after their
vacation?
Our Island is small and pretty much everyone
knows each other. We will like our visitors to feel
the warmth, which the time spent amongst us,
have allowed them to feel at home away from
home. A place where all worries or hostility of
the outer world is left behind and pretty much
find yourself on an Island that is still waiting to be
discovered by you.
Hotel rooms on Statia?
Currently the island has about 110 hotel rooms
including Villa’s However the St. Eustatius Tourism
Development Foundation has championed a
project called “Home Stay Statia” which has been
up and running since 2011. The “Homestay”
program allows for persons with extra room in
their home to rent these out to travellers visiting
the Island and for whatever reason will like to stay
in something other than the traditional bed and
board.
Persons who join the Homestay program are asked
to become a little more than just a host. They are
asked to cook at least one meal with the person
visiting, take the person around on their daily
routines (shop-market-bank etc.). In other words
they become a “local tour-guide” sharing stories,
family values and whatever fun ideas one can
come up with.