(de Ware Tijd) THE HAGUE – From January through September 2011 some 101,578 Dutch tourists have visited Suriname, over 30,000 more than last year. Karen Tjon-Pian-Gi, Marketing Manager of the Suriname Tourism Foundation (STS), expects a hike for 2012. Statistics from the Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO) show 158,848 people visiting Suriname. In 2010 there were 165,000 from January through October. The figures for October, November and December, the high season, have not been included, but prospects are a higher number of tourists in 2011 compared to 2010. The introduction of the tourist pass has been favorable for the number of tourists, Tjon-Pian-Gi says. Suriname will participate with a high level delegation in the Holiday Fair from 10 through 14 January in Utrecht, the Netherlands. Tourism stakeholders from around the world will be present at the fair. Suriname will present itself as ‘The Green Caribbean’ a natural haven, with twenty firms from the tourism industry participating. STS data show that each year, some 100,000 Dutch visit family and acquaintances in Suriname.
