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United Airlines hailed as Leeward Islands Partners first triumph
by The Daily Herald
Posted: Dec 20, 2004 13:47 UTC
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SIMPSON BAY St. Maarten - The arrival of the inaugural United Airlines flight direct from Chicago to St. Maarten on Saturday was hailed by the Leeward Islands Partners (LIPS) as their first triumph and the precursor to many more in the coming months.
LIPS is a collaborative strategic marketing alliance comprising St. Maarten/St. Martin, Saba, St. Eustatius, St. Barths and Anguilla. The group has as its main aim promoting the islands as one destination, improving market visibility, attracting more airlift while limiting operating cost.
Attracting United Airlines as a scheduled direct flight was the first venture undertaken by the partners earlier this year when the alliance was started. The weekly flight is not only seen as a triumph for the partners because of the increased airlift capacity, but indicates what the islands can do together.
Office du Tourisme de St. Martin head Bernadette Davis told The Daily Herald shortly after the flight arrived at Princess Juliana International Airport, “This was the fastest negotiation I have been a part of. Normally, you work really hard on a project and don’t always get to see the results.”
With this flight from Chicago, the island has completed the circle in the United States, as it opens a gateway to the West Coast and parts of Canada. “It has created a new gateway. The hard work is not over. It has just begun, as we have the challenge to keep it and look toward getting increased flights.”
St. Maarten Tourism Director Regina LaBega is delighted with the arrival of the United Airlines flight. She said it was results of the islands working together. She is looking forward to more successful joint efforts of LIPS that will have positive and strengthening effects on the tourism industries of all islands involved.
St. Eustatius tourism director Alida Francis said, “Our first joint effort has paid off. I am very elated that we were able to accomplish it this fast. The next step with United Airlines will be to negotiate for increased flights into St. Maarten, as the more flights to come on stream, the better the spin-off for the other islands.”
She said St. Maarten Tourism Commissioner Theo Heyliger deserved special thanks for coming up with idea of bringing the islands together for better marketing efforts, the fruit of which are beginning to show with the weekly United Airlines flight.
“We are seeing the fruits of the partnership with the arrival of this flight,” Saba Tourism Director Glen Holm said. “This flight is very good for Saba especially because of the medical school, because many of the students live in the Chicago area.”
The Anguilla representative also expressed delight with the commencement of the United Airlines flight and is looking forward to the continued spin-offs for the island.
Holm added, “This flight is good for Saba especially because tourism is the mainstay of our economy.”
St. Barths Mayor Bruno Magras stated that the flight was a good opportunity for St. Maarten and its partners to gain access to new markets within the United States. “St. Maarten is the heart of the aviation industry in this part of the Caribbean and this has positive effects for St. Barths also.”
Commenting on the outlook for St. Barths this high season, Magras said everything looked good, although the season was starting later than last year because of the refurbishing of several hotel properties
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