Destinito started with a simple observation: visitors experience a destination very differently from the organizations that serve them. A traveler does not see separate tourism boards, transportation companies, hotels, restaurants, airports or attractions. They see one trip, one limited amount of time, and a series of choices they need to make along the way.
That became our starting point.
As we developed Destinito on Sint Maarten and St. Martin, we listened carefully to the questions visitors actually ask. Not only “Where should I eat?” or “Which beach should I visit?”, but also “What is happening tonight?”, “How much should this taxi cost?”, “Is there traffic?”, “When does the ferry leave?” and “What is close to me right now?”
Those questions influenced the choices we made. We learned that discovery is important, but relevance is even more important. A great recommendation is not very useful if it is closed, too far away, difficult to reach because of traffic, or simply does not fit the time a visitor has available. We also learned that the destination visitors want to experience rarely fits neatly within administrative boundaries.
Someone arriving in Sint Maarten may spend tomorrow in Anguilla, have lunch in Grand Case, take a day trip to St. Barth’s, or fly to Saba or St. Eustatius. Each place should remain unmistakably itself, but the visitor should not have to start from zero every time they move.
That is why Destinito was never intended to be only a Sint Maarten platform.
Sint Maarten became the place where we could build, test, listen and learn what a connected destination experience could look like. Now we are taking that thinking further into the Caribbean.But there is something else we have learned along the way.
No matter how much information we collect about a destination, we will never pretend to know an island or country better than the people who live there.
You can build databases. You can connect real-time information. You can use technology to make thousands of businesses and experiences searchable. But knowing a destination is different.
It is knowing which beach works when the wind changes. Which local restaurant is worth the detour. Where residents actually go. Which event should not be missed. Which road becomes difficult at a particular time of day. Which business has been part of the community for generations. And which seemingly small experience tells the real story of a place.
That knowledge is local.
And it is why the next chapter of Destinito is not only about expanding technology. It is about finding the right people. We are looking for local professionals across the Caribbean who know their destination intensely, believe in putting the visitor first and want to become the local face and driving force behind Destinito in their territory.
Through our franchise-based model, we want to combine a shared Caribbean platform with genuine local ownership and expertise. The technology, structure and broader network can be connected across destinations, while the knowledge, relationships and character must remain local.
Because the goal is not to create one standardized Caribbean experience.
Quite the opposite.
Anguilla should feel like Anguilla. Saba should feel like Saba. Curaçao, Aruba, St. Barth’s, St. Eustatius and every other destination should remain distinctive. Our role is to make those differences easier for visitors to discover and experience.
That is where Destinito is heading: connecting destinations without flattening them, technology without losing the human element, and visitors with the people and places that make each territory special.
If you have not explored Destinito yet, I invite you to do so. Look at it as a visitor. Search for a restaurant. Check what is happening. Explore a neighboring island. See what is nearby. Ask a question. Test it. And if, while doing that, you find yourself thinking about how Destinito could work in your destination—and you are someone who really knows that destination—we would especially like to hear from you.
The Caribbean does not need another platform telling every island what it should be.
It needs better ways to help visitors discover what each island already is.
That is what we are building.
Michiel Parent
Connecting People, Places and Technologies
https://Destinito.com
https://IIG.me