I-Port St. Maarten yemukele isamba sabagibeli abangu-1,597,101 abahamba ngomkhumbi ohambweni lwe-489 ngo-2018, okubonisa ukunyuka kwama-29% kwezivakashi ezifika unyaka nonyaka. Ichweba lokuhamba ngomkhumbi elihlonishwayo likhuphuke ngo-30.3% kusukela ngoMeyi kuya kuJulayi, lapho uhambo lokuya esiqhingini ngokuvamile luhamba kancane.
“ISt. Ichweba likaMaarten lokuhamba ngomkhumbi belilokhu lingenye yezindawo ezihamba phambili eCaribbean. Lezi zinombolo zokufika azibonisi lelo qiniso kuphela, kodwa futhi zigqamisa ukuthi isiqhingi sibuye ngokushesha kangakanani,” kusho uMqondisi Wezokuvakasha e-St. Maarten uNksz May-Ling Chun.
Ingxenye yokugcina ka-2018 iphinde yaletha ukubuya kwezinombolo zokufika zangaphambi kwe-Irma. I-Port St. Maarten yamukele abagibeli abangu-646,431 kusukela ngoSepthemba kuya kuDisemba, okubonisa ukwanda kwe-17.87% yabafika kusukela ngesikhathi esifanayo ku-2016, unyaka ogcwele ngaphambi kweSiphepho i-Irma.
“ISt. I-Maarten njengomkhiqizo wezokuvakasha kulindeleke ukuthi ibuye isinamandla futhi ingcono kunakuqala,” kusho uStuart Johnson, uNgqongqoshe wezokuVakasha eSt. "Sibheke phambili ekuqhubekeni nokwamukela abagibeli besikebhe ababuyela ogwini lwethu ngemfudumalo yakudala yase-St. Maarten nokungenisa izihambi phakathi no-2019."
Nakuba izinombolo zika-2017–2018 unyaka nonyaka zibonisa indlela enhle yokuqhubekela phambili e-Port St. Maarten, u-2017 ngokuvamile bekuwunyaka ohamba kancane echwebeni njengoba ubungasebenzi ezinyangeni zika-Okthoba noNovemba.
