Dear Editor,
Citing high fares and inconvenient flight connections, many regular visitors are not coming to the island this year and may not come even next year.
The airlift to the island has been drastically reduced after Irma. The few airlines that are flying to SXM are charging very high fares.
The airport is in shambles. It is operating out of two tents but yet PJIA authorities have not reduced their charges for the non-existent services they are currently providing to the airlines and passengers.
These exorbitant airport charges are inbuilt into the price of the ticket.
It is easy to blame airlines for the high prices to fly to this island, but how can we expect them to reduce their fares if PJIA is not reducing the airport usage charges for airlines and their passengers.
How can we expect others to help us, if we are not willing to help ourselves?
Charity begins at home. Let us be charitable to ourselves before we expect others to be charitable to us.
More visitors will come to this island if airfares are low. The hotels and other businesses will rebuild faster when they realize that more tourists are coming to the island and subsequently the airlift to the island will increase when the hotel inventory increases, which in turn will increase the revenue of PJIA and all other businesses on the island.
The entire economy of this island and its prosperity is dependent on the ecosystem of cooperation.
I hope someone in charge is listening and will set the ball rolling.
Juggie
