The Tribune

By NATARIO McKENZIE Tribune Business Reporter nmckenzie@tribunemedia.net THE MINISTER of Tourism and Aviation said yesterday that several initiatives were being examined to boost airlift to this jurisdiction, telling Tribune Business that the airfare credit program that ends this month "exceeded our wildest expectations" in terms of room nights. The program has been so successful, according to Vincent Vanderpool-Wallace, that other jurisdictions have begun to copy it. While he was unable yesterday to give exact figures on room nights yielded, he told Tribune Business: "I stopped counting at a time it exceeded half a million room nights on the program, because that exceeded our wildest expectations. But we continue to track what the numbers are. "The value of having an airfare credit, instead of Companion Flies Free, is that obviously we can offer a credit from far more places because it's a fixed maximum number as opposed to giving a free ticket depending on where people come from. The credit allows us to be much more extended in the representation of the marketplace, so that is part of the reason why the industry and the Ministry agreed to that position." The Companion Flies Free program was hailed as successfully stimulating arrivals to this nation during the economic slump, offsetting the relatively high price of air travel and creating more value for tourists. It was in effect for around 14 months, over an 18-month period, that started in December 2009. The Ministry of Tourism, promotions boards and Bahamian hotels spent a collective $31.67 million on the Companion Flies Free program in that time, generating just under 450,000 room nights of business. Mr Vanderpool-Wallace said: "The numbers are approximately the same in terms of the value that was given under the Companion Flies Free program. However, in order to get people who are much farther away to take advantage of the opportunity when they see this being advertised, obviously there are many more people who can take advantage of it knowing full well they would have to pay a portion of the second ticket if it exceeds that sum." After the Companion Flies Free program ended, the Ministry of Tourism and hotels determined that they would continue to subsidise airfares in the form of a $250 air credit. That deal was introduced at the beginning of June 2011. Like the Companion Flies Free offer, it requires that visitors stay at a participating hotel for a minimum of four nights. An offer has also been formulated for those staying for six or more nights, where a $400 air credit can be obtained.