FREEPORT, Grand Bahama – Tourism Minister the Hon. Obie Wilchcombe on Saturday welcomed US Airways inaugural flight from Philadelphia to Grand Bahama saying it is yet another milestone in his Ministryﾴs programme to resuscitate the tourism industry on the island.
Addressing a reception after the flight landed at Grand Bahamaﾴs International Airport, Minister Wilchcombe said that the recovery of tourism on Grand Bahama is well underway.
He said the new airlift was propelled in part by the branding of major resorts on Grand Bahama, particularly the former Our Lucaya Resort, which now carries the Sheraton the Westin flag, and the former Princess properties, which boasts the Holiday Inn Sunspree and Crown Plaza brands.
The tourism chief also announced Saturday that the Government is taking steps to cause the newly constructed casino at Lucaya to be opened.
“The hurdles are being cleared for this to happen very shortly,” he said.
Welcoming US Airways, Mr. Wilchcombe noted that the service connects the airlineﾴs most powerful international hub and strongest originating city, Philadelphia, to Grand Bahama, with a daily non-stop A319 jet service.
This service, Mr. Wilchcombe said, has the capacity to deliver some 45,000 visitors, with a projected spending of some $31 million in the Grand Bahama economy over the next 12 months.
“I wish to thank the entire team at US Airways for your confidence in Grand Bahama Island, and indeed the entire Bahamas, for your expression of confidence in our destination,” he said.
He noted that in two short years US Airways have become the dominant scheduled air carrier to Grand Bahama, offering some 15 weekly jet service to the island, amounting to some 100,000 seats annually.
“What is also important to us is the fact that your two primary services to Grand Bahama, Charlotte and now Philadelphia, represents hub cities that connect with service to some 50 new markets with convenient jet-to-jet one stop service in both directions,” he said.
Minister Wilchcombe assured the airlineﾴs executives and travel agents that the public and private sector teams on Grand Bahama remain committed to driving service to the highest attainable levels.
“We are committed to adding even more interesting and exciting activities throughout our island beyond our gulf, scuba, tennis and fishing facilities,” he said.
He predicted that the new service would aid greatly in facilitating increase in group business that Starwood, operators of the Sheraton and Westin at Our Lucaya, is expected to drive to Grand Bahama.
“Likewise, as we implement our strategy to host sports and entertainment events through the traditionally slower periods, quality scheduled air service such as what we inaugurate today makes our task much easier,” he stated.
Recognizing the arrival of US Airways as “yet another milestone in our programme to resuscitate Grand Bahamaﾴs tourism”, Mr. Wilchcombe pointed out that in terms of incremental growth, Grand Bahama is leading the way for The Bahamas.
US Airways also operates daily nonstop service from Charlotte and New York into New Providence.
According to Ms. Patty Frissora, manager of Leisure Accounts for US Airways, the airline has the current capacity to bring some 391,000 passengers to The Bahamas annually.
She said the airline continues to grow in the Caribbean region and that while some airlines might offer more direct flights to the region, none offers more nonstop service that US Airways.
Also travelling with the group was newly-appointed Bahamas Consul General to New York, Mr. Edison Bethel.
The Bahama Journal
