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In his speech on August 24, on the occasion of Saint-Barthélemy's patron saint's day, the President of the Collectivité territoriale announced his intention to organize "territorial meetings" on various themes. The first of these meetings, organized by Xavier Lédée, took place on Thursday November 13, in the Salle des délibérations of the Hôtel Territorial. The theme, which could not have been broader, was "tourism and attractiveness". For those new to Saint-Barthélemy, this first edition of the "rencontres territoriales" undoubtedly enabled them to learn a great deal about the island's issues. For others, however, it was of little use. The speeches and other exchanges only touched on subjects that have been mentioned many times before.
Gathered around the Chairman, who sits enthroned in the center of the room, were numerous socio-professionals representing the hotel, restaurant, retail and other sectors. Elected officials, too, and a small handful of local residents. To publicize the event, as with every Xavier Lédée event, the usual audio-visual equipment was deployed: four cameras, two cameramen, a director, all for live broadcast. So much for the decor, or form. As for the content, it proved a little less orderly.
A jumble of themes
For over three hours, various members of the audience spoke on a variety of themes. Without a common thread or guideline, a hodgepodge of diverse subjects were raised: traffic problems, the role and investment of hospital establishments, the difficulties of access to public transport, and so on.difficulties in accessing housing, the increase in the local and visiting population, environmental preservation, the management of sargassum collection and the proposed means of combating it, safety, the regulation of traffic, and so on.s, safety, regulation of Airbnb, access to local employment, particularly for the island's young people, road traffic problems, the loss of the island's identity and authenticity, and so on.identity and authenticity, the evolution of the tourist clientele, the position and influence of "groups" investing on the island, etc. In addition to these recurring themes, evoked at every meeting or discussion on the island's situation and evolution, and sometimes fed by commonplaces, it is the remarks made throughout the evening that seem to be worth noting. Even if, like the aforementioned themes, they have already been expressed many times over the last few years.
Recurring concerns
First of all, the concerns of Gustavia's shopkeepers, expressed by the president of their association, Edouard Lacour. He spoke of a drop in visitor numbers, and of traffic making Gustavia virtually "impassable". As in February 2024, during a meeting held at the harbor master's office in the presence of President Lédée. In short, nothing new. Except for the growing concern over solutions that are taking too long to be found.
An island that is changing, in the image of its visitors or its clientele, depending on how you want to phrase it. "There are things we need to regulate to protect our local economy," says one business leader. I hear everything that's said about the balance of Saint-Barth," explains a young man. I was born and raised here, and I feel that over the past three years, things have accelerated. I wonder how things are going to evolve. "The same speaker remarked: "It's inconsistent to want to give jobs to Saint-Barths without being able to house them. It's no longer a question of qualifications, it's a question of housing. "
"Maybe we got carried away
Faced with the criticism levelled at the "groups" investing on the island, another young speaker reframed the debate: "The island is evolving and the groups have contributed enormously. Only groups are capable of buying up establishments. Very few locals have the means. If someone wants to sell a property tomorrow, they'll be happy to find a group to buy it. When it comes to rental properties, people go to groups first because they know they'll be able to make twice as much. We don't like groups, except when they make us money. "Excess, another topic raised during the evening. "Maybe we got carried away trying to answer everything," slips the Collectivité president.
In conclusion, while this first part of the "rencontres territoriales" did not give rise to any new concerns or concrete solutions, it did confirm the need for in-depth reflection and work on the island's future. This work has already begun within the Comité du tourisme, with an audit on "the Saint-Barth of tomorrow".
