Saba, the smallest of the BES islands and the “unspoiled queen of the Caribbean”, deserves its name in more than one way. The island is truly an unspoiled queen due to the lack of crime, sky scrapers and mosquitoes. Saba is off the beaten path and still a unique paradise of nature. But why should I invest in this piece of paradise, you might ask yourself and what would be beneficial for my business?
Saba has a very stable government which is business-oriented. It has decent infrastructure and is only twelve minutes away from one of the biggest airport hubs in the Caribbean (St. Martin). Moreover, the island has a very reasonable tax structure and very good connections with European, North American and even the South American market. This is not to mention that it is one of the best diving destinations in the world; has very welcoming inhabitants; a great culinary scene and good restaurants that will only make you want to return. And that is not all. Saba hosts one of the best medical schools in the Caribbean, the Saba School of Medicine, with more than 400 students.
And because Saba has not yet been discovered by many investors, it offers you good opportunity for your investment. With only six to seven small boutiques, hotels and resorts, there are great opportunities in the tourism sector. So there are ample possibilities to step into the tourism market. Nature tours and tourism can become even bigger on Saba. On another note, training facilities and private schools could be established. And what about businesses that don’t need direct customer visits and work mostly on the World Wide Web? They can step into a market climate that is unspoiled and establish business facilities on Saba as well. As mentioned before, the tax benefits, compared to the Netherlands or other countries, are significant.
What is the outlook for the future of Saba? Since 10.10.10, when Saba became part of the Netherlands, there have been many improvements. The schools and hospital were upgraded and the harbor and the airport got facelifts, so the future of Saba looks very promising. The establishment of the Chamber of Commerce of Saba and Statia guarantees proper information and registration. The private sector and the Chamber work together with the local government to increase the investment climate by trying to make it as easy as possible for businesses to set up shop on the island. For the foreseeable future, we are very optimistic that companies from Holland and the Caribbean will discover that investment on Saba is beneficial to their purpose and business. In the last few years, local entrepreneurs have opened a variety of shops, such as a small mall, a Dutch Bakery, souvenir shops and an art gallery, as well as a professional optician, new restaurants and a carwash center. Even a big supermarket chain from St. Martin saw the benefits and bought one of the local supermarkets in order to extend their reach to Saba. Therefore, we are very sure that more business people will discover that Saba can be an attractive market for them.
The newly appointed Commissioner of Tourism, Mr. Bruce Zagers, has started a campaign to boost tourism on Saba. Together with local stakeholders, a very ambitious “Tourism Action Plan” was created and talks were held with St. Martin and St. Barts companies to create awareness about the treasures Saba has to offer. The local airline was involved in making access even easier and to add flights in the high season. Moreover, for the first time ever, Saba will be on display at the world biggest watersports fair in Düsseldorf, Germany with its own booth. The show runs for nine days and it is one of the most visited shows in Europe that is related to watersport tourism.
Just recently a Belgian/German company purchased one of Saba’s three dive centers and is keen to promote their new venture in the European market, which will also increase Saba’s visibility and exposure even more. In October, 2016, a TV crew from Puerto Rico will visit Saba to start shooting a movie about the “unspoiled queen”.
If you are interested in receiving more information, please contact the Saba Business Association (SBA) or the Chamber of Commerce and Industry Statia & Saba. Send your email to the following adress: wolfgang@scoutsplace.com