by Brian Major
Last updated: 3:45 PM ET, Wed March 21, 2018
After years of struggles, the Caribbean's frequently fractured air transportation system is solidifying.
In fact, it's expanding to serve more parts of the region via expanded routes from major carriers and new services launched this year by key regional suppliers.
The latest entrant is Caribbean Airlines, which premiered the second series of regular flights between New York's JFK International Airport to St. Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG)'s Argyle International Airport March 1. Located at the southern end of the Caribbean Sea's eastern border, the southern Caribbean archipelago ranks as one of the Caribbean's most exotic and desired - yet underserved - destinations.
Caribbean Airlines' weekly departures from New York's JFK International Airport provided the new SVG facility with a critical boost. The airport attracted its first long-haul, international scheduled service in May with a Caribbean Airlines route between SVG and Toronto, and now can claim regular service from a key Caribbean-serving market.
First announced in 2007 and originally scheduled to open in 2011, Argyle International Airport experienced repeated construction delays before finally opening in February 2017.
The facility's $240 million price tag, representing one-half of St. Vincent's gross domestic product (GDP), made it the most costly capital project in the nation's history. After launching with no confirmed regular airline service, the airport has now attracted two international carriers, Air Canada and Caribbean Airlines, serving Caribbean countries including Cuba and Trinidad & Tobago.
"Tourism has been the main foreign exchange earner for St. Vincent and the Grenadines over the last three decades and it is expected that the international airport will increase earnings in this sector," said the Grenadines Tourism Authority in a statement.
SVG hosted more than 120,000 land-based and cruise-ship visitors between January and October of 2016, ranking 28th among the 31 countries submitting arrivals data to the Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO). Nevertheless, the figures represent year-over-year land-based and cruise arrivals growth of 6.6 and 9.2 percent respectively.
Comprised of 32 southern Caribbean islands and cays, SVG's primary travel destinations include the main island of St. Vincent plus Young Island, Bequia, Union, Mayreau, Mustique, Canouan, Palm Island and Petit St. Vincent. SVG now offers flights between Port of Spain, Trinidad and Havana every Tuesday and Saturday, and also provides "seamless connections to and from Barbados, Grenada and Guyana," company officials said.
Travelers who book a JFK-departing SVG flight can book a Lovers' Package on Young Island, featuring two free nights on stays of seven nights or more plus daily breakfast, a bottle of Champagne, two "back-to-nature" massages and round-trip airport transfer. Package rates start at $2,112 plus tax and service charge, double occupancy.
Young Island is the first of the Grenadines island chain, located five minutes from mainland St. Vincent by private ferry. The 13-acre features lush greenery and flowers, and the island's wildlife reserve features 29 water-view cottages, open-air dining and a languid Caribbean beach with a swim-up bar. Each cottage features rattan furniture, king-sized beds, open-air garden showers and private patios.
Guests can also enjoy complimentary water sports including kayaks, pedaloes, small sailboats and snorkels; 24-hour private water ferry access to visit St. Vincent and The Grenadines attractions, a tennis court and a lagoon pool. Couples can board the resort's chartered catamaran, Panthera, to explore neighboring islands such including Bequia and Mustique.
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