Determined to play a strong role in the development of tourism on the island, Heyliger continued to be involved in politics, and returned to the post of Commissioner of Tourism when the Democratic Party returned to office in mid-1999. In addition to Tourism, Theo Heyliger is also currently responsible for the portfolios of Economic Affairs, Harbour, Electricity Company, and Disaster Management.

The Commissioner’s plans to improve the tourism product of the island include:

• continued hotel redevelopment and expansion
• improvements in port facilities and the airport
• tapping into new markets
• building of residential tourism awareness and appreciation
• a campaign to solicit more airlines and more direct flights to the island
• adding cruise ships and home-porting of cruise ships
• increased destination awareness by securing location filming of television and motion pictures
• study of the timeshare industry and its future

One of Heyliger’s most noticeable achievements was the development of the Dr. A.C. Wathey Cruise and Cargo Facility, which was officially opened in January 2001. The new terminal can be credited for the doubling of the amount of cruise ships that visit the island since its construction, and the increase in cruise visitor approval ratings of the harbour.

In addition to tourism, Heyliger was also responsible for the other departments in his portfolio, including Economic Affairs, Energy, Harbour and Disaster Management.

Before entering into politics, Heyliger was Managing Director of Intermar Shipping, one St. Maarten’s leading transportation companies.

A 1989 graduate of Sint Maarten Academy, Heyliger holds associate degrees in Marketing and Business Administration from Johnson & Wales University in Providence, R.I.

Not only business minded, Heyliger was also a prominent figure in the community of St. Maarten. He served as President of the Jaycees Youth Chapter, Publisher of the youth magazine Teen Times and Moderator of the island’s first Independence Forum held in 1989. Heyliger was named the Youth of the Year in 1984 by the island’s Lions Club. He also achieved the Outstanding Young Person Award in 1996 from the Junior Chamber International, a program adopted by the U.S. Jaycees.

Heyliger, who is now serving the third year of the second term as Commissioner, vows to continue in his plight to ensure the continued success of tourism in St. Maarten. He has plans, and wants to make sure that those plans can be realized, for as he says “no policy is worth the paper it is written on unless it can be translated into reality within a given time frame”.