18 DEC 2018: St. Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG) – a relatively undiscovered gem of the Caribbean – is closer than ever for Canadians thanks to increased service from Air Canada Rouge. The carrier launched year-round flights from Toronto to Argyle International Airport on the island of St. Vincent on Oct. 25, but has also introduced a second weekly flight on a seasonal basis on Sunday as of December 16.
The twice-weekly Rouge flights (Thursdays and Sundays, the latter continuing through April 28), along with American Airlines service from Miami launched on Dec. 15, represent a “game changer” for the island destination, which now has two international airlines flying to the St. Vincent capital of Kingstown to complement inter-Caribbean service (and Caribbean Airlines flights from JFK). Previously, to get to the St. Vincent “mainland,” visitors’ best options were to connect through Barbados or St. Lucia.
“[These services] will make it so much easier for visitors, including the diaspora, to vacation in St. Vincent and the Grenadines,” says Glen Beache, CEO of the SVG Tourism Authority.
The Rouge flights tap into increased interest amongst Canadians in SVG that has already registered a nearly 13 percent increase in the first three quarters of 2018.
“Our decision [to offer year-round service] is based on the strong performance of this route when we launched it last year and we are proud to be the first North American carrier to serve the islands,” says Mark Galardo, VP, Network Planning, Air Canada.
Rouge president Duncan Bureau told Travel Industry Today that the airline is pleased to be able enable customers to “explore a new part of the world,” adding, “As we continue to expand the Air Canada network, the introduction of this year-round route allows Air Canada to enter into new markets and offer more destination options and travel choice for our customers.”
He adds, “We are fortunate to carry customers from all over the world thanks to our Sixth Freedom Traffic agreement and they travel for all kinds of reasons. While historically this has been largely a leisure destination for Canadians seeking warm weather in winter, by expanding year-round we can cater to this demand in the shoulder seasons while also increasing opportunities for additional VFR and business travellers. We will continue to carry customers from every destination, while targeting Canadians and Vincentians alike.”
And while Canadians in the past have typically ventured directly to SVG outposts like Canouan, Mustique and Palm Island via Barbados and St. Lucia, Bureau agrees that the Kingstown flights will open up St. Vincent itself to more Canadian visitations. “We have history that suggests when there is a direct service there is usually more traffic,” he says.
Beache, who boasts a Canadian connection having attended both Humber College in Toronto and Carleton University in Ottawa, is naturally “very excited” over the Rouge service, stating, “In opening Argyle International Airport last year, and now offering year-round flights out of Toronto for the first time, we look forward to welcoming even more Canadians travellers to St. Vincent and The Grenadines.”
While Beaches adds that “our biggest problem in SVG has been lift,” he maintains that St. Vincent is cognizant that it doesn’t want to overdue tourism. Even from Canada. “We don’t want there to be so many Canadians that you don’t feel like you’ve left Canada,” he laughs.
Explaining to Travel Industry Today that SVG has been “one of the last Caribbean destinations to come into tourism,” the circumstance has allowed the industry there to witness some of the mistakes of its competitors, specifically not managing growth.
It’s a sentiment that is widely held in the islands.
“We don’t want over-tourism, but we do need more people,” says Bianca Porter, the GM of Young Island Resort, a hotel that stands to benefit from the Air Canada service due to its ideal location on the edge of Kingstown, yet just removed enough (it is about a three-minute boat shuttle off shore from St. Vincent) to provide a relaxing environment.
To that end, SVG is working on adding rooms to its current base of 2,200 with a couple of new hotel projects already in the works.
Beache says 3,500 to 4,000 rooms will be optimal and would allow SVG to maintain its image (and reality) of being a Caribbean paradise of coconut and mango trees, lush vegetation and beautiful beaches.
“Too much,” Beache says, “and you lose authenticity. That’s the scare.”
Vincent and The Grenadines is a collection of 32 islands and stretching 85 km. south from the main island of St. Vincent – east of Barbados and bookended by St. Lucia in the north and Grenada in the south – and includes eight inhabited islands: Young Island, Bequia, Mustique, Canouan, Mayreau, Union Island, Palm Island and Petit St. Vincent (PSV). The Tobago Cays (home of a national marine park) is a horseshoe-shaped reef that shields five deserted islets and is renowned for snorkelling, diving, turtle viewing, and sailing.