The Collectivité Territoriale de Martinique (CTM) adopted, on June 11, 2026, in plenary assembly in Fort-de-France, a tourism recovery strategy presented as one of the priority projects for the end of the term. The text, defended by Serge Letchimy's executive, was voted in by a large majority of the councilors present. It confirms a reorientation of the budget of the Martinique Tourism Committee (CMT) and a strengthening of partnerships with airlines serving the island.
Declining Arrivals Since 2023
Data published by Insee Antilles-Guyane and the CMT depict a fragile trend. After the post-pandemic rebound in 2022, Martinique's tourist arrivals have stagnated, hampered by the sustained increase in the price of transatlantic flights and the upscale shift of competing destinations – Dominican Republic, Cuba, Mexico. Hoteliers in the south of the island, the main seaside area, have been alerting for several months about disappointing occupancy rates during the low season.
What the Voted Plan Entails
The approved document outlines three levers. Firstly, an international promotional effort, with a reinforced presence in continental European, North American, and French-speaking Canadian markets. Secondly, support for the modernization of accommodation, through targeted aid for small structures and independent hotels. Lastly, a "sustainable tourism" component aimed at better highlighting natural heritage – Montagne Pelée, a UNESCO World Heritage site since September 2023, the trails of the North Caribbean, the mangroves of the South – to attract a clientele less focused solely on seaside activities.
The Sensitive Issue of Air Service
The question of air links occupied a large part of the debates. Several opposition elected officials called for a firmer commitment from the CTM to Air France, Air Caraïbes, and Corsair to stabilize the capacity offered to Paris-Orly. The president of the executive council referred to an ongoing dialogue with the State and the Directorate General of Civil Aviation, recalling that fare setting remains the prerogative of the airlines.
Island Economy Under Strain
The tourism sector accounts for approximately 7% of Martinique's GDP, according to figures from the Iedom, but it shapes employment along the coast and fuels an entire chain of subcontractors – restaurants, car rentals, boating, crafts. On an island where the unemployment rate reached 12.6% according to BIT standards in the fourth quarter of 2025, according to Insee, any fragility in the sector has immediate social effects. The plan voted in Fort-de-France will not, on its own, resolve these fundamental equations, but it sets a clear roadmap for the next twelve months.
