Page 14 - ARUBA TODAY

A14 LOCAL
Wednesday 19 June 2019

Bahamian Vincent Vanderpool-Wallace

Shines at 2019 Caribavia on SXM

skills elsewhere. “Look at the
individual achievements:
From the Bahamas, Sidney
Poitier who won the first
Oscar for acting, Cardinal
Warde, a professor of phys-
ics at MIT, from Barbados….
You have Robert Rashford,
an aerospace engineer
from Jamaica whose pat-
ents were used in the fix
of the Hubble Space tele- Again and again, Van- pendent, why aren’t we
scope. And have a look derpool-Wallace drove making it easier for people
at all the Caribbean par- his point home: The Carib- to use aviation services?”
ticipants in the Olympics!” bean must have easier and he asked.
Vanderpool-Wallace said. less expensive intra-island “Proximity matters!” he reit-
He noted Miss Universe and transportation and more erated.
Miss World contestants and attractive employment op- He suggested that govern-
Formula One race car driv- portunities. ments lessen taxes on air-
By Anne Salafia job opportunities for those ers; he mentioned David Islanders often have to fly line tickets thereby attract-
ST. MAARTEN — Journal- who might otherwise move Ortiz, baseball player from though Miami in order to ing more movement into
reach another Caribbean and within the region and
ists, pilots, and movers and away. the Dominican Republic. island. Why should Bahami- allowing for greater hotel
shakers of the travel indus- Vincent Vanderpool, prin- “You can go on and on,” ans have to fly via Florida or occupancy. “When we
try gathered to brainstorm cipal partner of the Bedford Vanderpool-Wallace said. sometimes even Toronto to start talking about taxes for
at the Caribbean Aviation Baker Group in Nassau and “There’s no question; ex- get to a good fare to Bar- infrastructure, collect the
Meetup on St. Maarten/St. past minister of tourism and traordinary talent comes bados? taxes after the customer
Martin, June 11-13. They aviation in the Bahamas, from this region.” “We consistently make it arrives by maximizing hotel
came from around the kicked off the Meetup. His He called their exodus difficult for people to move occupancy,” Vanderpool-
Caribbean, Cameroon, topic, “Friendly Skies; Lib- “brain drain.” around our region,” he Wallace said.
Ghana, Nigeria, Canada, eralizing Airlift in the Carib- “The reality is that the Ca- said. “The most powerful “Here’s another secret: the
France, Florida, New York, bean,” emphasized the ribbean is among the high- factors in trade and travel shorter the length of stay,
and London. importance of viewing the est places in the world for
Caribbean as one entity emigration of its citizens,” are proximity and facility!” the more the average per-
He noted that Mexico and son spends,” he said.
Their focus: increasing air- with team spirit. he said. “Skilled people are Canada are America’s big- Cdr. Bud Slabbaert of St.
lift into and within the Ca- “Now, suppose there was leaving.” gest trading partners, not Maarten founded the Ca-
ribbean. Attendees also a country known as the “People have a yearning China. More visitors to Las ribbean Aviation Meetup
explored strategies to United States of the Ca- to go somewhere else to Vegas and Orlando come four years ago and has
overcome obstacles such ribbean? What would express their talent. But, from nearby, not afar. planned them every year
as high airline taxes and that country look like?” he by making it difficult and “If the Caribbean is not since. He held this year’s
inconvenient, costly trans- asked. expensive to go right next only the world’s most tour- conference at the Simp-
portation between the is- He listed talented African door, you force talented ism dependent region but son Bay Resort on June 11
lands. Americans who have left people to leave the re- also the most aviation de- and June 13 and included
The Caribbean Aviation the region and taken their gion,” he said. sessions at the Grand Case
Meetup, aka Caribavia, is airport on the French side,
a resulted-oriented com- June 12. All in all, he orga-
munication platform for nized thirty forums with Q &
stakeholders in aviation, A sessions after each.
tourism, and investment Honoring individuals and
industries, according to its companies that have
website. The conference made outstanding contri-
encourages thinking out of butions to business aviation
the box, together. in the Caribbean, Honor-
“St. Maarten has a unique able Stuart Johnson pre-
opportunity to rewrite its sented the prestigious Sap-
aviation policy and play a phire Pegasus awards at
more leading role in Ca- the opening night gala.
ribbean aviation, as we Dominica and the Baha-
rebuild our airport,” said mas have hosted previ-
Honorable Stuart Johnson, ous Meetups as has St.
minister of tourism, eco- Maarten.
nomic affairs, transport and Speakers and participants
telecommunication. left this fourth annual
Because the Caribbean Caribavia invigorated and
depends on tourism, in- resolved to make a differ-
creased air traffic into the ence.
region, along with more in- As Vanderpool-Wallace
tra-island flights, would not said, paraphrasing Nelson
only benefit the Caribbean Mandela, “Everything is im-
economy but also provide
possible until it happens.”q