AIRLINE PILOTS AND EXECUTIVES HOSTED TO SEMINAR AND FAM IN BAHAMA ISLANDS – At airport in Freeport, Grand Bahama L-R Mark Steinburg, Bahamas Flying Ambassador; Don Campion, President and Owner of Banyan Air Service, FBO, Fort Lauderdale Executive Airport; Chris Rose, AOPA Pilot; Greg Rolle, Chief Aviation Specialist, Bahamas Ministry of Tourism and Aviation; Jack McCormick, Baja Bush Pilots Association, Arizona; Tom Horne, Editor at large, AOPA Magazine; Tony Restaino, Florida Aero Flying Club; Terry Spurlock, Bahamas Flying Ambassador and Karen Wring, BMOTA.
FORT LAUDERDALE, Florida -
They’ve thrown down the gauntlet, flung the doors open wide, and issued an
all points bulletin that private planes are welcome to fly down to see why the
saying goes, “It’s Better In The Bahamas.”
The Bahamas Ministry of Tourism and Aviation in a bold and
aggressive move targeting the multi-billion general aviation/private plane
market, recently rolled out the red carpet to lavishly pamper key aviation executives
- mostly in the Florida market.
The
venue was a Grand style Familiarization tour of some of the most picturesque
portions of the beautiful archipelago, and included travel to Grand Bahama,
Long Island, Cat Island and Abaco.
On the four day/three night familiarization tour were some 32 persons including
pilots, representatives from
Aviation
Clubs, Associations,
Aviation schools, FBO’s
(Fixed Based Operations) and the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA).
With more than 640,000 private pilots in the U.S. and some 48,
244 in the state of Florida alone, the Bahamas is making every effort to
capture its share of this lucrative market.
Statistical 2008 data indicates that during that year, the visit of some
82, 949 Private Pilots accounted for 476,593 room nights for the Bahamas, with
the overwhelming majority going to the Family Islands.
To encourage even greater activity in this market, the Bahamas
is heralding its message as follows: Proximity to US (especially Florida);
Abundance of airports encourage island hopping; Radar coverage/ flight
following from US through TIOTB; The beauty of the unspoiled Islands and Cays
and the simplicity of Customs and Immigration procedures.
Already the Bahamas, over the years, have made great strides in
their initiatives against the general aviation market through several marketing
strategies including the Preferred Gateway FBO program and Bahamas Flying Ambassadors
(pilots with extensive experience in flying the Islands of The Bahamas).
During the recent Fam, the pilots and airline executives, were
treated to breathtaking views flying over the Islands, but the old fashioned
Island hospitality on the Family Islands went further. There was the
Bahamian style buffet menu with native dishes
on Long Island;
a rake and scrape reception
in Cat Island;
and on Abaco the
welcome reception featured
delicious conch salad and
“Bahama Mama” (drinks), following an
exhilarating day on
the water
enjoying
power boat rides
to
brief and exciting visits of neighboring
Cays.
Many of the attendees, at the end of the Fam agreed that a
highlight of the weekend was the round-table seminar in Freeport, Grand Bahama,
that had kicked off the four-day event.
The seminar had featured Bahamian airport officials, representatives
from the local FBO as well as Bahamian officials from Customs, Immigration and
even the Royal Bahamas Police Force – all available to provide information and
answer questions from the aviation executives.
One of the persons representing the Miami Executive Airport,
Eddie Sanchez
shared ,
“I thought it was going to be more difficult
with paperwork and everything, but flying to The Bahamas was really easy, from
a pilot’s point of view. “
The trip was Sanchez’s
first Private Plane flight to The Islands, and he said of his overall impression
“it was easy to navigate from Island to Island.
I don’t know why I haven’t done it before, but I am already planning to
go back.”
Bahamas Flying Ambassador, Rick Asper, did not
join the group on the Fam, however, bidding
them safe travels as they left the U.S. mainland, he summed-up The Bahamas
Ministry of Tourism and Aviation’s position as follows: “Nobody treats general
aviation pilots like The Bahamas.”
About The Islands Of The Bahamas
The
Islands Of The Bahamas form a 100,000-sq-mile archipelago that extends over 500
miles of the clearest water in the world, just 500 miles off the cost of
Florida. Our 700 islands, including uninhabited cays and large rocks, total an
estimated land area of 5,382 sq miles, and register a highest land elevation of
206 ft. Most notable, however, is that each island has its own diversity that
continues beyond geography, carrying through to the heart of the Bahamas, the
Bahamian people. You’ll find it in our heritage, in our culture, and in our
humble pride. These are The Islands of the Bahamas. Population: somewhere north
of 300,000. For more information on The Islands of The Bahamas call
1-800- Bahamas or visit bahamas.com