Martinique Queens Martinique Queens Martinique Queens is a national beauty pageant responsible for selecting Martinique's representatives to the International pageants. This pageant is not related to "Miss Martinique" where the winner traditionally competes at Miss France contest. Miss Martinique pageant has been known since 1957, unrelated as above specified to Martinique Queens, when the island competed at the Miss Universe pageant. Since 1984 the island joins Miss France contest as overseas department of the country. In 1985 it boycotts to the Miss Universe pageant, because of the pageant does allow that island competing in a national competition as a region. Miss Martinique
Tourism in the Caribbean weeks or months at a time. The Caribbean islands were colonies of European countries, and early tourists went to their nation's colonies. Barbados and Jamaica were visited by the English, Curaçao by the Dutch, and Martinique by the French. American tourists traveled to The Bahamas and Cuba. In the 1920s, tourists visited the Caribbean for pleasurable, sun-bathing vacations. Sun exposure was considered healthy at that time and tans were a symbol of "spontaneity and sensuality" among the wealthy. Before World War II, more than 100,000 tourists visited the region a year. Tourism became an economically important industry as Caribbean bananas,