Monday, 12 September 2011 00:23
PHILIPSBURG--Minister of Economic Affairs and Tourism Franklin Meyers announced last week that Copa Airlines would be adding another flight out of Panama for the upcoming season. The Minister did not provide details of the flight.
The Panamanian services commenced December 2010 and by all indications have been a success, especially among business travellers. Copa currently services St. Maarten twice weekly, on Tuesdays and Saturdays.
Meyers said moving forward, St. Maarten's tourism growth efforts would be mostly centred around "bringing in some big iron birds," referring to additional airlift. He reiterated that the destination's one-pillar economy dictated that the goal remained filling planes and hotels.
He said, "We will market ourselves aggressively" in emerging markets, adding that he would be attending the Fair of the Americas trade show in October, in Brazil, to continue tapping into the South American market.
In the meantime, Copa and St. Maarten's South American representatives recently came together to promote the destination in Brazil. Agents and operators of Rio de Janeiro had the opportunity to learn more about the attractions of the island.
St. Maarten was promoted as a destination with luxury, five-star hotels, attractions for the whole family, often considered the gastronomic capital of the Caribbean with approximately 400 dining options and attention was given to the fact that travellers from Brazil do not need a US visa to get here.
The promotional event was also held in Porto Alegre and Brasilia, cities that Copa Airlines also services with Caribbean connections.
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