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A16 LOCAL
Monday 5 February 2018

Opinion Column: Fly-in-something in the Caribbean

by Cdr. Bud Slabbaert born: fly-in finance services. Why not? ditional facilities and offices of service
ORANJESTAD - How about Fly-In Bank- A service-concept enabling foreign providers from financial industry seg-
ing; like a drive-in fast food operation? persons and companies to have quick ments. Good for airport expansion and
No, it’s no joke. In the Caribbean? access to financial services by flying good for the local community.
Probably not, but that is not the point. to an airport and using the services of So instead of chasing aircraft owners
One has to look at the principles of the the financial institutions on the airport and operators, as one might have ex-
concept and explore if one could do a premises or in nearby branches. Fly-In pected me to do, I went after bankers.
‘fly-in’ something that might fit a par- Banking would be a marketing innova- On a local level, the concept was well
ticular destination in a region. Bottom tion, in airport business development received. Why wasn’t it realized? The
line, it’s all about economic develop- and promotion, but also in the Private headquarters of the banks that were
ment of a region. Follow-me! and Investment banking industry. located in the two cities with a major
I did some research. In the sixties, in international airport, didn’t want to lose
Developing airport business requires Rio Vista, Texas, there was the ‘Cow any business to their branches. Does
some creative thinking especially Pasture Bank’. The banker owned a the word ‘commission’ ring a bell? They
when it comes to private and business grass airstrip behind the bank build- believed that the branches could at-
aviation. No one is flying to an airport ing. He created a unique financial in- tract the cross-border road traffic, but Why write this column about something
because of the airport. Passengers are stitution by offering a fly-in feature. Cli- the HQ’s wanted to keep the flying jet- that failed? It didn’t fail, it just didn’t
coming for the destination and in the ents would fly their planes in from their set for themselves. work due to an unforeseen circum-
Caribbean for instance especially for farms to do their banking. Mind that in By accident, it went in international stance. Now, one could come up with
the ‘Tourism Product’. How do you get Texas distances are far; the farms are aviation magazine as: “fly-in banking a series of quotations of some of the
aircraft passengers to come and do so big that the farmers would also have to attract more well-heeled travelers” most famous successful people saying
business; ‘Tourism d’Affaires’, as the a grass strip and their own small private and “just trying to make things as easy that progress is based on trial and fail-
French say? Just visiting conferences airplane. The banker commented that and comfortable as possible for them,” ure. The essence of such quotes is that
for creating awareness and network- in addition: “We financed a lot of air- and “facilitating meetings with repre- one has to come up with new ideas
ing is not enough of a marketing effort. planes. It was an easy way to let peo- sentatives from major banks in the air- and eventually one of them will suc-
At least it was not enough for me. I was ple fly in and we would look at the air- port’s new business center and arrang- ceed. If one doesn’t try anything new
in charge of business aviation devel- plane and that sort of thing and decide ing limousine transportation to nearby or different, then nothing happens.
opment. My line of thinking was more if we wanted to finance it.” branch offices”. The journalist who Question is, where should it all start?
about a sustainable development. Of course, ‘my’ airport didn’t have a published the information may have My concept started as an initiative of
I observed that a well-known foreign bank. The closest branches of ma- been just a bit too excited about the an airport business developer. Should
business man would frequently arrive jor international brand banks were 15 new service, by publishing it prema- the idea have come up in a bank?
at ‘my’ airport on his private jet and minutes away. Yet, we had a build- turely before the program was actually A government economic develop-
met with a financial expert for a good ing where we could rent out space realized. Bad PR? No. Because in the ment authority, maybe? What about a
hour in the airport’s restaurant and then and make meeting rooms available to same article he also mentioned that: Chamber of Commerce or a Tourism
boarded his jet and left again. Hmm? advisors from the financial institutions, “Business aviation movements at the Office? I’m in favor of brain storming
Could one turn that in some kind of who could come to meet their clients airport during the first half of this year meetings with competent participants
concept? The airport was located in on our premises. My vision was, that are up by 94 percent over the same from various organizations and includ-
a country well-known for international if we were successful, we could even period last year, because more execu- ing some independent open-minded
banking and finance. The idea was initiate a cluster development with ad- tive travelers have discovered…, etc.” intellectual individuals. When does that
happen here in the region and where?
And if it was done, where are the tangi-
ble results? No results? Maybe change
the participants or just make them try
harder. What may help is gathering the
persons in a room, give them food and
water, lock the door and don’t open
it anymore until there is a result. Cruel
thought? No way, you just couldn’t see
the amused grin on my face.

This is about progress for a territory and
helping its community. When it comes
to tourism product or business devel-
opment, or even the economic devel-
opment of a whole region, fresh and
especially unique concepts are need-
ed. Concepts that outdo the competi-
tion. Think about Fly-In-Something and
where that may applicable, or about
something else that is original. q

*The views, opinions and positions
expressed by the author do not
necessarily reflect the views, opin-
ions or positions of The Aruba to-
day Newspaper, Caribbean Speed
Printers, or any employee thereof.