The Tribune

By NATARIO McKENZIE

Tribune Business Reporter

nmckenzie@tribunemedia.net

A senior Baha Mar executive said he was confident the necessary extra airlift will be in place by 2014 to accommodate the mega resort as well as other Bahamian hotels.

“The plans have been working well. We have partnered with our industry colleagues, the Ministry of Tourism, the Airport Authority, NAD and, in fact, a number of our executives and a number of the industry executives are going to the Routes Conference, where we will continue to promote the Bahamas as a viable destination for incremental airlift,” said Robert Sands, Baha Mar’s senior vice-president of external and governmental affairs.

“We are working very aggressively in terms of getting increased connectivity, additional flights, developing new markets, and that is going very well. We have a fairly detailed plan in place, and we are in the process of executing it.

“We are 18 months away. We’re working very hard and aggressively to ensure that we have in place the necessary airlift, and we are very satisfied that we will be in a position to deliver that particular aspect.”

Tourism and hotel industry stakeholders have estimated that a 400,000 seat increase in airlift capacity into the Bahamas will be needed for Baha Mar’s opening.

As part of this, Baha Mar has launched an information centre in the international arrivals section of the Lynden Pindling International Airport (LPIA).

“This location represents an information centre for Baha Mar as we begin to create some excitement for the opening in December 2014. In addition, it gives persons a foretaste of what’s to come,” said Mr Sands.

“Come December 2014 we will convert it into a welcome centre where we will welcome our guests, VIP guests, casino guests and regular guests to the Baha Mar resort. Right now we don’t have the element of being able to put in reservations and so forth. We will have the ability to pull up individual reservations, greet guests, take them to their limousine, bus or taxi.”