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ASM, the World Leaders in Route Development for Airports, have just announced the commencement of two major projects in the Caribbean and in China. Both the St. Lucia Tourist Board and Macau International Airport have asked the renowned consultancy to assist them in realizing their market opportunities and potential. The projects are focusing on the development of new air services to boost tourism and the local economy.
Macau Airport is seeking to develop a 5-year route development strategy covering the period from 2009 through to 2014 with the aim to globally increase the airport’s revenue and productivity and its contribution to the Macau economy. The core objective of the study undertaken by ASM is to help the airport understand the developments of its market and their impact on route maintenance and implementation.
“The wider south China market, especially Macau, is a very exciting and promising market,” says John Grant, Managing Director of ASM. “With our analysis we want to help Macau Airport to identify a strategic marketing plan to strengthen its position in the region. This plan will then have to be matched with airlines, meaning that we will approach existing and potential target carriers.”
The St. Lucia Tourist Board appointed ASM to assist in their ambition to increase the number of passengers by 50 percent – recognizing the vital link between air services and tourist development. Over the next few years, there will be a significant increase in the hotel bed stock on the island with the introduction of further high-end properties, such as The Landings and The Ritz-Carlton.
“The number of hotel rooms will grow from approximately 4,000 to 6,000 within the next three years, so there is obviously a need to increase air service access and capacity to the island,” says Mark Clarkson, Client Director, ASM. “Our experience has enabled us to develop an in-depth understanding of the ‘Americas’ market and the region’s operating environment. As a result, we have established relationships with the principal carriers serving the region, many of which we anticipate will have a level of interest in the St. Lucia market. We are now negotiating with airlines from three key target areas: the US, the European and the Intra-Caribbean market,” he adds.
Despite an increase in visitors from North America and Europe, the island’s aviation environment had recently undergone significant upheaval and disruption. As a result of the reduction of American Eagle services from San Juan, traditionally the hub airport for mainland US, and the consolidation of intra-Caribbean carriers, the number of visitors from other points in the region had been impacted.
John Grant, commenting on ASM’s two new projects: “In times of adversity airports cannot afford to be in a stalemate and wait for the next upturn. They need to be active and find ways and opportunities for development in order to stay competitive. The fact that more and more airports and also tourist boards turn to ASM in this unstable environment reflects the expertise, global experience and knowledge that our consultants have to offer.”
Theodore is the Co-Founder and Managing Editor of TravelDailyNews Media Network; his responsibilities include business development and planning for TravelDailyNews long-term opportunities.
