The Tribune

By DENISE MAYCOCK

Tribune Freeport Reporter

dmaycock@tribunemedia.net

OVER 70,000 people visited the Family Islands by private plane in 2015, an eight per cent increase over the previous year, according to a Bahamas tourism official.

Captain Greg Rolle, Senior Director of Sales, Marketing and Sports for the Ministry of Tourism, indicated that the private pilot market is important to the Bahamas.

Mr Rolle was part of the ministry’s team at the Fun ’n Sun International Expo, the largest covention held in Florida and the second largest aviation show in the world, attracting over 200,000 private pilots from around the world.

More than 10,000 aircraft, from light sport home built to war birds, are on display.

Mr Rolle said the economic impact of the 70,489 private plane visitors on the island communities across The Bahamas was “far reaching” and that the Ministry of Tourism “extends an open invitation to private pilots to come and explore our islands,” he said.

Mr Rolle and a team from the ministry, as well as some leading Bahamian hoteliers, attended the expo in Lakeland, Florida, from April 5 to 10. He said that The Bahamas was prominently featured at the convention.   

Hoteliers from the Grand Isle Resort and Farmer’s Cay in Exuma, Small Hope Bay Lodge (Andros), Valentine’s Inn (Eleuthera), Fernandez Bay Village (Cat Island), Resorts World Bimini, Old Bahama Bay (Freeport), the Grand Bahama Island Promotion Board hotel properties as well as Banyan, one of The Bahamas’ preferred fixed base operators in Florida, were there.

Mr Rolle said Ministry of Tourism’s team members participated in live radio and television broadcasts on numerous stations promoting the Bahamas islands.  

The ministry, in conjunction with the US Customs and Border Control departments, also organised several seminars conducted by Terry Carbonell, associate woman pilot flying ambassador. All of the seminars were full.  

Terry Spurlock, senior flying ambassador for The Bahamas, said that the seminar turnouts were three times larger than last year, and that there was great interest in The Bahamas.

 “Over the years, we have conducted hundreds of fly-ins to The Bahamas and a lot of the business we receive from Sun ’n Fun benefits the Family Islands,” he said.   

Mr Spurlock said they saw an increase in interest in The Bahamas, particularly from new pilots wanting to fly here for the first time.

“As Bahamas Flying Ambassadors and seasoned private pilots with extensive experience in flying to and around the islands of The Bahamas, we take great pride in showing these newbies just how easy and beautiful it is to fly there,” he said.

Mr Rolle was pleased with the outcome of this year’s Sun ‘n Fun Expo, especially for their hoteliers, who were given an opportunity to speak directly to private pilots and arrange fly-ins and other profitable opportunities for their resort. 

Jeff Todd, director of communications for the Grand Isle Resort and new Farmer’s Cay project, was impressed by the “high quality” clientele that attended the expo.

“I am absolutely blown away by the high quality of clientele I saw and spoke to at this expo, which has exceeded my expectations in every way. Based on the response from the pilots, there is a clear demand for new destinations and to do business with us in the Bahamas and we have received more leads than we can count,” he said.

Mr Rolle noted that the Ministry of Tourism along with Sun ’n Fun are looking forward to holding an aerobatic Air Show and Youth Seminar in Grand Bahama, today and tomorrow at Taino Beach.