MIAMI – Antigua and Barbuda’s Tourism industry is set to receive a boost this year as a new daily non-stop service from New York John F Kennedy Airport, operated by American Airlines, will commence from November 17th 2011.
The direct Boeing 737 flight will operate on a weekly four-day schedule – Monday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday – in addition to existing daily flights from Miami and San Juan.
Speaking during a press briefing on Thursday 25th August, Antigua & Barbuda’s Tourism Authority (ABTA) Chief Executive Officer Colin C James said the new service “will be a welcome boost for the island’s hotels, ensuring that adequate airlift is available to support marketing efforts ahead of the busy Thanksgiving holiday travel period which marks the start of the winter season. The new flights will be supported by an aggressive joint marketing campaign with American Airlines in the New York area.”
Minister of Tourism the Honourable John Maginley said the new service brings about new opportunities for both the peak and off- peak seasons.
“During the summer period and the off period, a lot of the hotels complain that there is no access so even if people wanted to come, they could not. But by us signing this year-round agreement now, and its 700 odd seats a week initially, it gives hoteliers a better opportunity to plan during the summer time,” The Minister said.
The Minister also noted the additional 160 daily seats will position Antigua & Barbuda to maintain its competitive edge in the valuable wedding and honeymoon market, and will increase access to American Airlines’ New York area network.
James noted the tourism authority will utilize a number of marketing techniques to encourage visitors to the destination.
“It is absolutely important that we put the marketing support behind the flights. One of the things that we have been focusing on recently, and we’ve seen it in the arrival numbers, is to work with a lot of the Travelocities, Expedia.com … where we work through the online component to encourage bookings that way and that has reaped tremendous rewards for us,” James said.
American Airlines Country Manager Cathy Ann Edwards said the new service coincides with the airlines 30th anniversary of operation in Antigua.
“We will work with the tourism authority to promote this new service….we are planning familiarisation trips for media, travel agents and wholesalers. We believe that once they experience the beauty and hospitality of our islands they will sell Antigua and Barbuda as the place to go,” Edwards said.
