CASTRIES, St. Lucia, CMC – Tourism Ministers from the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) meeting in St. Lucia have invited regional airline LIAT to urgently submit proposals on how sub-regional states can assist the carrier improve intra-regional travel.
The high cost of intra-regional travel has been a major concern among OECS countries, some of which say that the situation has impacted negatively on their tourism sector.
A delegation from the airline met for over two hours Tuesday with OECS Tourism Ministers to make a presentation on the carrier’s operational and marketing strategies.
St. Kitts Tourism Minister Ricky Skerritt told reporters that the presentation by the airline, which was followed by what was described as a lively discussion, focused on LIAT becoming more tourism friendly, recognising the importance of intra-regional travel to the tourism dependent economies of the OECS.
“I think all concerned acknowledged the difficulties LIAT face in a small market without economies of scale in many instances, with high maintenance and equipment costs, but also emphasizing the need for LIAT to continue to find ways to minimize the cost of travel,” Skerritt said.
“We have invited the airline to submit proposals to us through the OECS Secretariat outlining various ways in which member states can assist in improving intra-regional travel,” he added.
The regional carrier has had a monopoly of intra-regional travel since it purchased the assets of its former competitor, Caribbean Star, in October 2007.
But the airline has been criticized especially by St. Lucia and Dominica for having a fare structure that discourages intra-regional travel.
In the case of St. Lucia, the island is the airline’s third largest tourist market.
Tourism Minister Allen Chastanet, a leading critic of LIAT, was absent from the OECS Council of Tourism Ministers meeting being grounded in the UK as a result of the volcano related travel crisis.
The meeting also proposed that the regional airline review its baggage policy, particularly issues dealing with baggage allowances as it relates to specific groups travelling for sports and entertainment.
“We requested that wherever possible the airline facilitate at little or no cost the second baggage piece for those specific groups or individuals,” Skerritt said,
The OECS Tourism Ministers met for their 9th Council meeting against the backdrop of an overall 12 per cent decline in stay-over arrivals in the sub-region last year, with at least five OECS countries registering double digit slides.
The Ministers are of the view that the adverse impact of the global economic crisis on sub-regional tourism will extend well into 2010.
In the sub-region, an 11.9 per cent fall in the number of stay-over arrivals was recorded last year. Declines in the number of stay-over arrivals were recorded in all member countries, of which five recorded double-digit contractions.
“All indications are that the adverse impacts of the global crisis on tourism performance in the OECS are likely to extend well into 2010, given the lag in the response of employment and incomes to the recovery of economic activity, as the major tourism source markets in the USA and Europe climb out of economic recession,” OECS Director General Len Ishmael said.
She added that in the case of the UK and, to some extent, Europe, the demand for travel to the Caribbean, including the OECS, will be dampened by the imposition of an increase in the UK’s Air Passenger Duty on airline tickets.
“The likely continued slow recovery of tourism means that some of the policy measure that OECS Member States found it necessary to adopt in the immediate aftermath of the onset of the global crisis, may have to be sustained into 2010,” she said.
“These might include expanded but carefully targeted marketing, and negotiation of new airlift capacity.”
The OECS Director General said that a continued programme of support to small and medium sized hotels and other core tourism enterprises might also be warranted, linked to adherence to relevant operating standards and the achievement of appropriate performance measures.
Its no secret that LIAT has its faults , but for one , lets look at the role the Governments has played in creating some of liats problems , the pilots strike, thats because the chief pilot is bajan and is trying to bring Liat to its knees so that Barbados can take control of liat, Barbados is flexing its muscles by closeing all city offices in the region except in Barbados,St Vincent and Antigua because they are the major share holders, they say its to save $2m ,closing a section of your company that makes over $50m for you, NOW THATS VERY GOOD BUSINESS ????. now turn around and say thats the trend, just to please some power thirsty person in Barbados ego.
2.. the traveling public is paying for the national health Insurance of the people of St.Lucia, and thats all on Liat tickets, but its not liat monies
3.. traveling out of barbados, you dont pay departure tax, but guess what, its aready included on the Liat tickets, but its not liat monies
4 … traveling to St Maarten, you are paying back for the building of the new terminal,but you dont know that because its aready on the liat tickets, but its not Liats monies
5…. traveling to and trough Antigua , you are paying back Mr Sanford for the people of Antigua, but you wont know that because its aready on liat tickets, but its not Liat monies
6 ….Traveling to and trough Grenada, you are paying back for this airport expansion, but you wont know that because its aready on liat tickets, and again its not liat monies
7…..traveling to and through barbados, you are paying for the up-keep of the airport by paying a surcharge, but you wont know that, because it aready on Liat tickets, by now you should have gotten the picture…ITS NOT LIAT MONIES
So how can the governments assist LIAT, they can give Liat all the perks that they give to the other airlines that fly into their country.
If you travel and ship packages as often as i do , you get to know the staff, both the good ones that will go more than an extra mile for you and the welllllllll not so good ones that can really frustrate you. but then you talk to them and they let you in on a lot of information that the general public have no knowledge off.
But from all this , i now know that the operations of liat is not as easy as it looks, there is a lot of under curents to deal with on a day to day basis.
If the cost of getting to Dominica was less, my family would visit more often. We live in the US and can get to Puerto Rico somewhat reasonably. Then it is expensive with Liat and the Dominica exit tax.
As I said already get rid of LIAT they advertise as the Caribbean airline but that is just bull the winward islands need to get their own airline let LIAT know we can do without them because they treat us DOMINICANS like dogs when we get to Antigua. LIAT belongs to Antigua and Barbados let them have it. SKERRIT GOV help your people espically we out there in the international arena trying to come home for a vacation it is very rough
Tell the OECS to buy larger Aircraft for LIAT, all of them just stay on a side and criticize. It is our caribbean airline, not Antigua and Barbados only. thats a good initiative.
The concession should also be applied for students. Travelling to UWI to school four textbooks in my suitcase and that is already the alloted 50 pounds.
CARIBBEAN LEADERS SHOULD BE FORCEFUL WITH THEIR DEMANDS, BUT THE SLAVE MENTALITY STILL LINGERS IN OUR PEOPLE, AFRAID OF THE WHITE MAN, GET YOURSELVES TOGETHER, GET YOUR OWN AIRLINE AND RUN IT. NOT LIKE A FRIEND AND FAMILY PERSONAL CARRIER BUT LIKE A BUSINESS, AND GET RID OF LIAT THEY ARE TAKING THE PISS
Long live the OECS and down with ALBA and to LIAT, your days of tyranny will soon be over.
That is a good initiative but it would have been even better to have a joint task force of representatives from LIAT and representatives from the ministries of tourism as well as officials from tourism associations in the region to come up with solutions.