Private jet vacationers are spending hundreds of millions of dollars in the Caribbean. That’s according to new information released by private jet lifestyle magazine Elite Traveler, which revealed that during the 2013/2014 peak winter season, this category of tourists contributed US$867 million in revenues from 12 566 flights to ten Caribbean destinations.
While the Grantley Adams International Airport was not named among the group, the report said airports in the Bahamas, St Maarten, and Turks and Caicos “lead the way, accounting for half of those flights with 9 222 arrivals and spending of nearly US$478 million.
Elite said the information was sourced from private jet charter operator PrivateFly’s analysis of flight activity to the Caribbean.
“Elite Traveler Magazine tracks the jet stream of the super-rich and chronicles the vacations and purchasing habits of affluent travelers across the world,” group president and editor-in-chief Douglas D. Gollan said.
“We continue to see the Caribbean as one of the preferred destinations for our readers, especially those travelling by private jets and mega yachts,” Gollan added.
PrivateFly’s information said that “there were 12 566 charter flights to ten busiest Caribbean airports alone from November 2013 to April 2014, the high season for Caribbean travel”.
It added that “based on data from Prince & Associates showing that private jets bring an average of US$69 000 in spend to the destinations they visit (excluding fuel and landing fees), private jet travellers brought some US$867 million in spending to the destinations where the top 10 airports were located”.
PrivateFly’s marketing head Carol Cork said charters were “only about one third of private jet activity – the rest being owned jets and fractionally owned jets, so more likely elite travellers will again bring billions of dollars in spending to the Caribbean in the coming months”.
The top destination was Nassau where private jet charter fliers alone brought US$278 million. The report also said that with St Maarten often a stopping off place for St Barts – a popular villa destination and pick up location for super yachts – “elite travellers drove US$104 million in revenue to the island”.
“Providenciales on Turks & Caicos gained US$94 million from ultra high net worth families arriving by private jet. Earlier this year a private Boeing 727 with a family of 20 from Nebraska arrived to spend ten days at Beaches resort,” according to Cork.
“Luis Munoz Marin Airport in San Juan, one of four private jet airports serving Puerto Rico, was the gateway for US$88 million to enter the territory’s economy. Abaco in the Bahamas followed with elite travellers generating some US$64 million for the economy, with St. Thomas following at US$56 million, Bermuda, North Eleuthera, Anguilla and Cayman following.”
Gollan said: “When one considers the above numbers represent only 33 to 50 per cent of total private aviation activity to the region and only the 10 busiest airports, it shows the huge opportunity for destinations and resorts to increase their share of super rich winter travel spending.”
