The Tribune

By NATARIO McKENZIE

Tribune Business Reporter

nmckenzie@tribunemedia.net

VACATION Express, a division of the Sunwing Travel Group, will launch flights between the US and Grand Bahama in Spring 2014, in addition to beginning six flights per week from Canada this winter.

“We have planned already for the winter with Sunwing with flights out of Canada. They’re looking at up to six flights weekly out of Canada,” said David Johnson, the Ministry of Tourism’s director-general.

The new flights will coincide with the reopening of the 503-room Reef Village property at the Grand Lucayan.

“We will launch, Spring of 2014, flights out of the US with their sister company, Vacation Express,” Mr Johnson added.

Vacation Express, which was one of the largest tour operators in the southeast US, was acquired by the the Canadian-based, and family-owned, Sunwing Travel Group last year.

“We have an integrated cooperative marketing and airlift plan laid out with Sunwing and their partners that will fuel not just their resort but the entire tourism requirements for Grand Bahama,” Mr Johnson said.

“That’s all planned, that’s all agreed and all funded and ready to go. Our focus in Grand Bahama now is making sure we work every day to have the hotel open on time in December,” said Mr Johnson.

Prime Minister Perry Christie announced earlier this year that Hutchison Whampoa and the Sunwing Travel Group, an affiliate of TUI, the world’s largest tour operator, had agreed to the terms of the lease agreement, for the scope of work and renovation costs.

Sunwing will renovate and reopen the 503-room Reef Village, which will be leased and operated as a five-star all-inclusive resort by Blue Diamond Hotels & Resorts.