Caribbean experts urge airlines to increase airlift to region

Caribbean experts have urged airlines to increase capacity to the region next summer to enable it to better compete with Europe in the peak travel period.

Calling the lack of airlift and cuts to services a “constraint to growth”, they also flagged a lack of bedstock due to demand from the US market for short and weekend breaks.

In a column for Travel Weekly, Caribtours managing director Paul Cleary called on regional tourism authorities to “make their case better”, saying: “The Caribbean needs to better compete with other regions to ensure it is sitting at the top table when UK airlines are deciding on routes. British Airways and Virgin Atlantic have a long‑standing commitment to the region, but there are times of year when destinations are short of good‑quality airline capacity.”

He said there was a “real opportunity” for agents to switch‑sell in the summer when Caribbean prices were around 40% less than during the region’s peak winter period.

Blue Bay Travel chief commercial officer Greg Armstrong said British Airways’ reduced schedule to Tobago “wasn’t helpful” and also flagged decreases in capacity to the Dominican Republic and Saint Lucia following the failure of Thomas Cook and cuts by Virgin and Tui.

Capacity cuts had also pushed up prices and led to clients picking the Indian Ocean over the Caribbean, with a particular impact on the Dom Rep, he added.

Barrhead Travel product and commercial director Caroline Stobo highlighted regional airlift as a barrier for its Scottish business, saying: “If the regional airlift was more convenient, I believe we’d be able to unlock huge potential for more of the region across all seasons.”

Karl Thompson, managing director at Unique Caribbean Holidays, in-house tour operator for Sandals and Beaches Resorts, said overall capacity was “sufficient” but agreed more year-round seats to popular destinations such as Saint Lucia and St Vincent and the Grenadines would be helpful.

Virgin Atlantic said it “continued to explore opportunities in the Caribbean market” and was reinforcing its commitment to the Caribbean this winter with “significant capacity growth” on Barbados and Antigua routes.

British Airways last week confirmed an additional weekly service from Gatwick to Kingston, Jamaica, for next summer, when four flights a week will operate.