ARUBA: Aruba Airlines Launches Flights To Punto Fijo In Venezuela

Aruban flag carrier, Aruba Airlines, launched the world’s shortest commercial flight by jet plane.

The airline, in partnership with the Venezuelan government, inaugurated its Aruba (AUA)-Punto Fijo (LSP) route on its Bombardier CRJ-200LR yesterday.

The two airports are separated by a short 50 miles. However, the two countries are separated by 15 miles (24 km).

Currently, the world’s shortest commercial flight is Loganair’s Westray to Papa Westray, scheduled to last less than two minutes.

However, Aruba Airlines’ flight to Punto Fijo lasts less than eight minutes, becoming one of the world’s fastest active international flights by jet.

The Venezuelan state’s governor, Victor Clark, said that the opening of this route will strengthen the country’s air connectivity.

We welcome the re-start of direct flights to Aruba, said Clark.

The airline will operate the flight twice a week, on Mondays and Fridays, offering connections to Curacao, Bonaire, and Miami.

Even though prices for the short hop are marketed at a high fare of US$235, the inaugural flight carried 50 passengers.

The opening of this route will increment by 45% the number of international passengers flying out of LSP.

The inaugural event was attended by regional authorities, and the airline’s staff, which will set base at the airport looking to open an air bridge between both countries.

We’re very pleased to expand our domestic and international routes out of this airport, the Governor said.

Clark also mentioned that his Government keeps an open relationship with Aruba, looking to strengthen the connectivity and the economies between both countries.

We have set the goal of becoming the country’s most important tourism destination, for both domestic and international travelers, he said.

In January, Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro ordered the closure of all air, maritime, and commercial traffic to Aruba, Bonaire, and Curacao.

Maduro accused the islands of running illegal operations by extracting from Venezuela gold, copper, food, medicines, and selling them overseas.

They take away gold from this country illegally, and make it legal to sell there, Maduro said.

I didn’t want to take a measure like this one, but I am ready to take even more radical measures, he added.

The blockade lasted almost three months.

Venezuelan Vice President, Tareck El Aissami, announced in April that his government would re-instate all air and sea traffic, following negotiations with the Dutch Minister of Foreign Affairs, Stef Blok.

Today, after the diplomatic spat ended, Aruba Airlines has partnered with the Punto Fijo Airport and the Venezuelan Falcon State to open this route.

The Punto Fijo Airport is poorly served by Venezuelan carriers to domestic destinations. The airport is often deserted with very little connectivity.

However, not all frontiers have been opened up between both countries.

Flights to Aruba can only depart from three Venezuelan airports: Valencia (VLN), Maracaibo (MAR), and Punto Fijo (LSP); whereas flights to Curacao and Bonaire can only depart from Caracas (CCS).

With the re-opening of the Dutch Antilles frontiers, the Venezuelan government seems desperate to keep some of its international connectivity alive.

In April, Maduro also banned Panamanian flag carrier, Copa Airlines, from flying to Venezuela.

Panama’s government followed suit and banned all Venezuelan airlines from flying into the Central American country.

However, after considerable international pressure, Maduro announced that he was restoring flights to Panama as part of an agreement that he reached with President Juan Carlos Varela.

We have agreed to have the best bilateral relations and to channel differences in the best way possible, Maduro said.

In February 2017, El Aissami was placed on the US Office of Foreign Assets Control blacklist.

According to the US Government, the Venezuelan Executive Vice President aided drug traffickers, therefore freezing all his assets in the United States.

The sanctioned list also includes President Nicolas Maduro.

According to the US Government, El Aissami allowed the shipping of narcotics from Venezuela and owned shipments of over 1,000 kg of Cocaine that left Venezuela to Mexico and the United States.

And just two days ahead of a fixed presidential election, the US Government announced further sanctions against Diosdado Cabello, the second-most powerful man in the country.

The Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control claims that Cabello was also responsible for drug trafficking, extortion, money laundering and embezzling government money.

Aruba Airlines was founded in 2006, formally launching operations in 2012 after being awarded its Air Operator’s Certificate (AOC).

The carrier leased its first two Airbus A320s and began flying to short destinations in Maracaibo and Panama City.

In 2016, the airline took delivery of its first Airbus A319, with which it launched flights to Miami (MIA) and Valencia (VLN).

In late 2017, the airline received two Bombardier CRJ-200s, adding up to one active Airbus A319, and one A320. The average age of its fleet amounts to 18 years.

Today, the airline flies to Bonaire, Curacao, Valencia, Maracaibo, Punto Fijo, and Miami.

But, in reality, the success of this niche route is highly unlikely.

Punto Fijo does not offer strong connecting traffic from other cities in Venezuela that require an international reach, strongly relying on point-to-point originating passengers.

And with fares as low as $235 for such a quick flight, a country that forbids transactions in US Dollars makes this new commercial service less likely to succeed.

Rumors are that Aruba Airlines is owned by a group that’s close to Venezuelan Government officials. Should it be true, the commercial rationale behind this niche route would be proven valid.


Tourism Observer

Best Caribbean Highlife Destinations To Visit

Cancun, Mexico

Cancun has a well-deserved reputation as a spring break destination, and that’s because it has some of the Caribbean’s most bustling nightlife spots.

San Juan, Puerto Rico

The closest place the Caribbean has to New York City. From Old San Juan to Condado, there are terrific bars and clubs to enjoy.

Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic

It’s not just the Dominican Republic’s capital — it’s the country’s nightlife capital, too. Bars, clubs, casinos, dancing and what might be the Caribbean’s most diverse live music scene.

Port of Spain, Trinidad

Port of Spain is the most developed city in the English-speaking Caribbean, and it shows. And there aren’t just a host of night spots to check out (especially in St James, the so-called “City That Never Sleeps”). There’s also Port of Spain’s famous, all-night street food.

Willemstad, Curacao

We’re big fans of many of the bars and clubs in historic Willemstad and the surrounding areas. And Willemstad is perhaps the most walkable city in the entire Caribbean.

Montego Bay, Jamaica

Much of the action here after dark is on Gloucester Avenue on what’s known as the “hip strip.” From live theatre to sports bars to jazz, you’ll find it all here.

Philipsburg, St Maarten

St Maarten has a number of seriously good bars, and, of course, a number of casinos, where you can always have a great time, no matter the hour.

Cabarete, Dominican Republic

The Caribbean’s bohemian destination never shuts off — and the best thing is, you can walk to everything, most of which is set right on the beach.

Oranjestad, Aruba

You’ll find much of the island’s nightlife in its many casinos, but bar hopping is very much alive and well here, from intimate dives to large clubs.

St Lawrence Gap, Barbados

Yes, Barbados. It’s not the first thing you think of about the island, but the St Lawrence Gap area in Christ Church has some of the best nightlife in the Caribbean — and bars that are open as much as 24 hours.

CARIBEAN: Tourism Shoots Up

The Expedia group reported that travel demand to luxury properties throughout the Caribbean increased in 2016. When compared to 2015, overall demand for four and five-star rated properties throughout the Caribbean increased by nearly 20 percent in 2016.

Likewise, the Caribbean’s leading destinations also experienced luxury demand growth including the Dominican Republic (15 percent), Puerto Rico (5 percent), Jamaica (nearly 30 percent), Aruba (nearly 20 percent), the Bahamas (10 percent) and Turks and Caicos (35 percent) in 2016 when compared to the previous year.

Per a recent report by the Caribbean Tourism Organization, Caribbean tourism accounted for nearly 30 million arrivals to the region in 2016 with visitor spending hitting new heights, representing a unique opportunity for Caribbean hoteliers specializing in luxury travel.

In 2016, the Caribbean destination with the highest luxury inventory was Paradise Island, with more than 80 percent of the Bahamian island’s hotels being four and five-star property.

Additional destinations where the majority of hotel inventory was comprised of four to five-star rated resorts included St. Martin (nearly 80 percent), Punta Cana (nearly 80 percent), Turks and Caicos (more than 75 percent) and St. John Virgin Islands (nearly 75 percent).

With four and five star properties representing more than 50 percent of Expedia group’s travel demand throughout the Caribbean, the company proudly offers hotel partners insights on mobile travel searches and booking patterns, how luxury travelers book, and how they shop and choose hotels.

The Expedia market management teams partner with hoteliers to effectively engage the luxury market across devices and throughout the entire travel planning process. This valuable information is readily available to partners to ensure that their strategy targets this niche market.

While the Caribbean’s various destinations attract a diverse range of travelers from around the world, according to Expedia group data the United States represented the largest market for the region’s luxury segment followed by Canada, the United Kingdom, Brazil and France in 2016.

The Caribbean’s luxury segment received a significant influx of Swiss travelers in 2016, who attributed to an increase of nearly 175 percent when compared to 2015. Additional international markets with noteworthy year over year increases in demand in 2016 include the Netherlands with nearly 50 percent growth and Germany with more than 40 percent growth.

“We’ve seen luxury travel continue to thrive throughout the world, including the Caribbean,” said Demetrius Canton, Director of Market Management for the Caribbean, the Expedia group. “Expedia works closely with hotel partners seeking to tap into new and growing markets, including the luxury segment, by utilizing the company’s innovative technology and global marketing strategies.”

Expedia group can also report that in addition to boasting higher average daily rates in 2016, luxury properties represented an opportunity for hoteliers in the Caribbean as four and five-star resorts featured longer booking windows (average of 55 day) and lengths of stays (4.3 days) when compared to one to three-star hotels which saw an average booking window of 37 days out and an average length of stay of 3.2 days.

By working with the Expedia group, luxury hotels throughout the Caribbean gain exposure from the more than 200 travel booking sites in more than 75 countries in 35 languages, in addition to a myriad of mobile sites and apps, from brands such as Expedia®, Hotels.com®, Travelocity®, Orbitz®, Hotwire®, Egencia®, Expedia® Affiliate Network and others.

ST MAARTEN: Tourism Accounts For 80% Of Revenues Generated

St Maarten Prime Minister William Marlin has offered to assist Jamaica and other Caribbean Islands with the development of their fledging timeshare markets.

St Maarten is among the small number of countries in the region that are said to be taking advantage of the lucrative timeshare market, which recorded global sales of US$19.6 billion last year.

In fact, industry players have described St Maarten as “the trendsetter in the timeshare business” in the Caribbean.

“Other Caribbean destinations need to come on board and be more receptive to the timeshare business, and St Maarten is willing to share their experiences with other countries in the region,” said Martin during a panel discussion on the topic ‘Timeshare’s Economic Impact on Destination Markets’, at the 18th Annual Shared Ownership Investment Conference at the Eden Roc Miami Beach Hotel in Florida last week.

Timeshare is a model in which multiple parties own rights to use typically a resort condominium unit at different time periods.

Stressing the importance of tourism to St Maarten’s economy, Marlin said the industry accounts for 80 per cent of the revenues generated, three-quarters of which, he said, is derived from the timeshare sub-sector.

“Timeshare started in our island over 40 years ago and despite our small size and population, we have developed and expanded and is now a leader in the timeshare business in that part of the Caribbean. For the past 15 years, 75 per cent of our stay-over tourists have been persons who stayed at timeshare properties,” he stated.

Martin said that St Maarten has the highest percentage of repeat visitors in the timeshare business in the Caribbean, adding that the sub-sector contributes US$500 million annually to the economy.

Tourism Minister Edmund Bartlet, who was also one of the panellists, said that Jamaica would be willing to learn from the experiences of other countries, including St Maarten, which has a vibrant timeshare market.

“We are interested in best practices; we are new on the block, we are ready to learn from the experiences of others in the region,” said Bartlett.

“The Caribbean has not had a strong experience in timeshare investments. The bigger countries in the Caribbean have not really embraced timeshare. The Bahamas has some, there are little bits and pieces all around, but we have seen it worked in St Maarten, Aruba and Dominican Republic, and so Jamaica is looking in that direction.”

In his remarks during the panel discussion earlier, the tourism minister told hundreds of industry players that Jamaica was ready to conduct business in the lucrative timeshare industry.

He noted that the Timeshare Vacation Act, which came into effect on May 1, signalled that the island is open for business.

“We represent a new frontier with new opportunities and new prospects. So I am here primarily to begin the conversations for us to embrace some of your experiences and, more importantly, your investments, because we want to diversify our product offerings, particularly in the accommodations sub-sector,” Bartlett told the gathering.

There are a few timeshare properties in Jamaica, which account for less than one per cent of the market in the region.

The island’s poor showing in that tourism sub-sector has long been blamed, by tourism industry stakeholders primarily, on the delay by the country in putting in legislation to guide property development and to protect the interests of investors and consumers.

Bartlett noted that successive governments have long recognised that the timeshare sub-sector is a key element of diversification which could provide a better flow of experiences that will enable the country to respond to the diverse needs of consumers and visitors.

He said he has already identified several coastal areas which have high elevations and “certain privacy” that are best suited for timeshare business, adding that meetings have been held with several potential investors. Other meetings, he said, are planned for later this year.

And Howard Nusbaum, the president and chief executive officer of the American Resort Development Association (ARDA), while commending Jamaica for putting the timeshare legislation in place, said his association is currently looking at aspects of the law to see how it will be beneficial to investors and customers.

“We are looking at the law to see if that law matches where we want to go… I applaud the Government for creating rules, passing the legislation, now we need to roll up our sleeves and look at the details of the legislation. There has to be a delicate balance. A good legislation needs to protect both consumers and developers, so if you do it right, then you can create a very vibrant industry,” he argued.

He stressed, however, that ARDA is willing to work with the Jamaican Government to develop its timeshare market.

“Jamaica has made a commitment to the industry, and for that I am grateful, and I want to work with the Government to make sure that they have the best consumer protection, and yet a platform that will grow their economy,” said Nusbaum.

Dmitri Pekhterev, Interval International’s assistant vice-president for resorts sales and services in the Caribbean, Central and South America, said that over the past four months there has been a renewed interest in Jamaica by developers.

“The legislation definitely helps. It has brought a renewed interest, and it will show that timeshare is a business that produces a lot of benefits for developers as well as the country’s economy,” he argued, stressing that “there is a lot of demand for Jamaica”.

DUTCH CARIBBEAN: About Dutch Caribbean

Capital: Kralendijk (Bonaire)

Currency: Netherlands Antilles Guilder

The southern group of Dutch islands comprises Aruba, Bonaire and Curaçao, just north of Venezuela. All KLM flights to Peru and Ecuador touch down here which make extensions very easy. Dutch, the local colloquial language Papiamentu, Spanish and English are widely spoken. The islands offer year-round sunshine, with an average temperature of 27°C. The wettest months are December, January and February but even then showers are short as there is less than 560mm of rainfall a year.

Aruba

Aruba is the smallest island of the group, only 25km north of the Venezuelan coast, and has the best beaches. It is dry and arid so, before the desalination plant was built, it imported all its water from Dominica. Snorkelling and diving among the crystal-clear waters are the main attraction, and windsurfers from all over the world are attracted to Aruba's shallow water and high winds.

Bonaire

What Bonaire lacks in beaches it makes up for with natural spectacles. Being outside the hurricane belt, the coral reefs that surround the island remain undamaged, and with up to 60m visibility at the many dive and snorkelling sites it ranks as a top Caribbean diving destination. The sea birds are also a big attraction - the Washington-Slagbaai National Park has around 190 species. The nightly spectacle of flamingoes flying home to roost is a highlight.

Curaçao

Curaçao is the largest of the ABC islands. It is 65km long with sparse vegetation dominated by cactus and stunted divi divi trees. The capital, Willemstad, is an attractive colonial city with lovely, brightly coloured buildings and good restaurants offering local and international cuisine. Highlights include the Mikve Israel-Emanuel Synagogue - it is the oldest continuously-used synagogue in the Western Hemisphere, dating back to 1732. There are some great beaches and over 30 dive sites, including several intriguing wrecks.

First Airline To Fly An Airbus A380 To Latin America

This winter, Air France is offering six weekly frequencies between Paris-Charles de Gaulle and Mexico. Starting on 12 January 2016, three weekly flights are operated by Airbus A380, the Company’s largest super jumbo (Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday). The three other flights are operated by Boeing 777-300. From 27 March 2016, the A380 will fly between the two cities daily.

On board, customers have the option of travelling in four flight cabins ensuring optimum comfort – La Première, Business, Premium Economy and Economy.

“We are proud to be the first airline in the world to operate an Airbus A380 to Latin America. This is a strong sign reflecting the Air France-KLM Group’s commitment to promoting exchange between Mexico and the rest of the world. We are thus strengthening the Group’s presence in Mexico, which we have been serving for over 60 years, by increasing our capacity by 20% on the Paris-Mexico route. The A380 will also allow us to offer two new flight cabins on this route, La Première and Premium Economy, in an aim to offer our customers even greater choice”, stated Patrick Alexandre, Executive Vice President Commercial, Sales and Alliances Air France-KLM.

AIRBUS A380 FLIGHT SCHEDULE (IN LOCAL TIME) THROUGHOUT THE WINTER 2016 SEASON

AF438: leaves Paris-Charles de Gaulle at 13:30; arrives in Mexico at 18:40
AF439: leaves Mexico at 21:10, arrives at Paris-Charles de Gaulle at 14:25.

Flights operated by A380 on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays from 12 January to 26 March 2016. Daily flights from 27 March 2016.

This Air France flight offer complements that of KLM Royal Dutch Airlines operating up to 9 weekly frequencies by Boeing 747 between the Amsterdam-Schiphol hub and Mexico.

THE COMFORT OF AN A380
Boarding an Air France Airbus A380 always guarantees an exceptional trip. On board, the 516 passengers travel in perfect comfort in exceptionally spacious cabins. Two hundred and twenty windows fill the aircraft with natural light, and changing background lighting allows passengers to cross time zones fatigue-free. In addition, six bars are located throughout the aircraft, giving passengers the chance to meet up during the flight.

With cabin noise levels five decibels lower than industry standards, the A380 is a particularly quiet aircraft and features the latest entertainment and comfort technology. External images are retransmitted live throughout the flight from three cameras located on the front, underside and rear of the aircraft. Finally, the largest jet in Air France’s fleet is the first to include a dedicated space for art and culture.

For the winter 2015-2016 season, Air France’s ten Airbus A380s are flying to 8 destinations – Abidjan, Hong Kong, Johannesburg, Los Angeles, Mexico, Miami, New York-JFK and Shanghai.

AIR FRANCE-KLM, EUROPEAN LEADER IN MEXICO AND IN THE REGION OF CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN AMERICA AND THE CARIBBEAN

This winter, the Air France-KLM Group is offering up to 21 weekly flights to Mexico from Paris-Charles de Gaulle and Amsterdam-Schiphol, including seven frequencies operated by Aeroméxico from Paris to the Mexican capital that share codes with Air France.

Moreover, all Air France flights to Mexico also share codes with Aeroméxico, thereby providing passengers with a wide variety of connecting flight options throughout the domestic network of the Mexican airline within the country.

Air France also offers 4 weekly frequencies to Cancùn.

The leading airline in Central and South America and the Caribbean in terms of seats, Air France-KLM serves twenty-seven destinations* in the region, and offers over 200 flights a week from Paris-Charles de Gaulle and Amsterdam-Schiphol.

* Aruba, Bogota, Bonaire, Brasilia, Buenos Aires, Cancún, Cali, Caracas, Cayenne, Curaçao, Fort-de-France, Guayaquil, Havana, Lima, Mexico, Montevideo, Panama, Paramaribo, Pointe à Pitre, Port-au- Prince, Punta Cana, Quito, Santo Domingo, Saint-Martin, Santiago de Chili, Sao Paulo, Rio de Janeiro.

A MAJOR TRANSATLANTIC JOINT VENTURE WHICH ALSO COVERS FLIGHTS TO MEXICO
Air France-KLM is involved in a major transatlantic joint venture alongside Delta Air Lines and Alitalia. The partners share operation of over 250 transatlantic flights operated daily by the four airlines, which also covers flights to Mexico. With a fleet of 129 aircraft, this partnership represents 25% of global transatlantic capacity and will generate an expected 13 billion in annual revenue. It allows customers to benefit from the advantages of a huge network offering more frequent flights, competitive tariffs and standardised services across the Atlantic.

The Air France-KLM Group and Delta serve eighteen destinations in the United States from Paris-Charles de Gaulle and Amsterdam-Schiphol: Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Cincinnati, Dallas, Detroit, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, Minneapolis, New York-JFK, New York-Newark, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Portland, Salt Lake City, Seattle, San Francisco and Washington. In addition to these destinations, Delta offers a vast network of connecting flights to 300 North American destinations, including Mexico.

TWO EUROPEAN HUBS CONNECTED TO THE WORLD
The European hubs at Paris-Charles de Gaulle and Amsterdam-Schiphol are connected daily thanks to 12 flight frequencies. The Air France and KLM network has been fully optimized to offer customers a choice of 316 destinations in 103 countries worldwide.

COLOMBIA: Avianca Adds Bogota To Bridgetown To Its Caribbean Programme

The giant Colombian airline, Avianca has just launched a new flight from its home base in Bogota to the capital of Barbados, Bridgetown with flights starting from December 02nd 2015.

The new flights will operate twice a week on Wednesday and Sunday, using an Airbus A319 aircraft with both Business and Economy classes. This is the sixth airport served by Avianca in the Caribbean, with regular services already being flown from Bogota to Aruba, Curacao, Havana (Cuba), Punta Cana and Santo Domingo (Dominican Republic).

Avianca also operate a growing number of transatlantic flights from Colombia with convenient gateway cities being London, Madrid and Barcelona. Alternative Airlines consider Avianca as one the world's great airlines with a long history and a growing status as one of the leading airline groups in Latin America. As a unique way to start a trip enjoying classic Colombian hospitality, we recommend Avianca to all our customers as the best way to fly to Latin America.

CURACAO: CTB Promoting Curaçao During Caribbean Latin Workshop And CTO Caribbean Roadshow

In the month of October the Curaçao Tourist Board (CTB) participated in two tourism events which were very successful. The events were the Caribbean Latin Workshop and the CTO Caribbean Roadshow. Both events took place in the Netherlands, where various travel agents, commerce and the media participated. The CTB had the opportunity to exhibit Curaçao as a favorite Caribbean destination.

Caribbean Latin Workshop

This is the fourth time that this event is being held and it is organized by Caribbean Reflections. The main purpose of the event is to inform commerce about the tourist products the Caribbean area has to offer, including Curaçao. The event took place on October 29 and 30 on board of the ship Serenity, which was docked in Utrecht, the Netherlands. The islands that were represented were Aruba, Repúblika Dominikana, Argentina, Perú, Mexico, Barbados, Belize, Boneiru, Cuba, Curaçao, Panamá and Sint Maarten.

CTO Caribbean Roadshow

The event, organized by the Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO), was a roadshow especially for the international travel agents with the aim to inform about the Caribbean tourism products. CTO is the organization dedicated to the tourism development in the Caribbean region and it consist of 30 islands with Dutch, American, French and Spanish origin or nationality and a number of respected private sector members. CTO also encourages travel agents to sell the various Caribbean destinations, including Curaçao.

This year the CTO Caribbean Roadshow took place at the La Cubanita restaurant in Rotterdam and Eindhoven. During the roadshow on October 26 and 28 participants were able to enjoy a Caribbean buffet while they received a 10 minute presentation of each participating partner and a session of speed dating with travel agents. This year 60 travel agents participated during the session in Rotterdam and 50 in Eindhoven. The islands that were represented were Barbados, St. Lucia, Cayman Islands, Curaçao, Jamaica and Bonaire.

Participation in these types of events is important to continue promoting Curaçao as a tourism destination which offers perfect vacation packages for relaxation or business.

ARUBA: InselAir Launching Flights To Quito

Dutch Caribbean carrier InselAir is launching another new destination: Ecuador.

The carrier will be launching nonstop flights from Aruba to Quito, beginning Oct. 29.

The three-hour flights will operate on Thursdays and Sundays.

“Quito has proven to be a popular destination in past, but InselAir also expects to transport many passengers from other destinations to Quito and vice versa,” the company said in a statement.

InselAir will be operating the service on Fokker 70 aircraft.

The return flights will operate on Fridays and Mondays from Quito to Aruba.