Philipsburg, Sint Maarten – Citing health & safety concerns and a lack of prior information from the St. Maarten Carnival Development Foundation (SCDF), three of the event’s main sponsors, Motorworld, International Liquor & Tobacco N.V. and TelEm Group, have informed that they are postponingtheir support for the staging of Carnival 2021.
In a jointly signed letter to SCDF President, Mr. Alston Lourens late Friday, the three sponsors informed of a meeting that took place on Thursday, January 21, 2021, to come to their decision.
All expressed concern that the Carnival organizers intend to press ahead with St. Maarten’s premier touristic event despite the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic on St. Maarten and around the world. The three sponsors also expressed “disappointment” in SCDF for not informing them first before having to read about the decision in the media and from third parties.
“Upon careful deliberation and consideration, we are unanimous in our opinion that irrespective of the cultural, tourism and economic benefits motivating your decision, the health and safety of the community must remain of paramount consideration and importance. We therefore jointly agree that we will be postponing our sponsorship of Carnival 2021,” writes the three main sponsors in their letter to the SCDF President.
The sponsors also note the “scant information presented to us and most importantly our serious concerns about the negative aspects that will arise from the staging of such a public event in the height of the ongoing COVID-19 epidemic.”
