CTO chairman calls for regional governmental meeting on REDjet

St Kitts Nevis tourism minister, CTO chairman Richard Skerrit, wants to see REDjet return to the skies.

BASSETERRE, St Kitts, Thursday April 19, 2012 - St Kitts and Nevis Minister of Tourism and International Transport, Senator Richard Skerritt, wants regional governments to meet with officials of the grounded REDjet and has offered the Caribbean Tourism Organisation (CTO) to facilitate such a gathering.

Skerrit, who is the chairman of the CTO, made the offer earlier this week during the four-day 13th Annual Caribbean Conference on Sustainable Tourism Development, which concluded in Guyana yesterday (April 18).

Skerritt told journalists in Guyana that there was a “pent-up” demand for air travel in the region, especially with the spiralling cost of regional airlift and high air travel cost would have dire consequences on regional tourism in the very near future.

He noted that REDjet’s recent suspension of its services, presents a valuable lesson to be learnt about the importance of affordable air transportation.

“You speak to Barbados and Guyana ministers, which I have had the privilege to do with both just within the last week, and both of them will tell you that REDjet was a major asset to them, it also stimulated competition,” Skerritt remarked, adding that “Caribbean governments need to sit down and discuss whether you are an equity investor or not. What is needed to bring about affordable sustainable travel in the Caribbean.”

“I hope that by the time we meet for the state of the industry conference in October this year in St Kitts. What I hoped is that by then there would have been a significant (development) in the region and come to grips with the problem because OECS (Organisation of Easter Caribbean States) ministers met recently and this was the theme.

Guyanese authorities this week poured water on heated speculation that the country might come to the aid of the ailing REDjet after officials recently met with Guyana’s ministers of tourism, industry and commerce and works to seek the country’s financial assistance in getting the carrier back in the Caribbean skies.
The airline is also seeking outside investors, including from Venezuela.

REDjet suspended its operations early last month due to financial troubles, after it complained that it could not compete with other regional airlines that receive government subsidies. Click here to receive free news bulletins via email from Caribbean360. (View sample)