Saint Vincent to get its first international airport in 2014

SaintVincent and Grenadines Islands

Editor’s Note: This is part of  a series of stories on Caribbean tourism. Read the previous stories here.

The 32-island nation of Saint Vincent & the Grenadines will mark a milestone early next year, when Argyle International Airport opens for business.

Runways, aprons and taxiways at the 275-acre airport — located in Argyle, on the main island of Saint Vincent — are now 82 percent complete, with all remaining infrastructure work to be finished by December 2013.

The runway will be 9,000 feet long and 150 feet wide, while the planned three-floor passenger terminal will cover 145,000 square feet and handle 1.5 million passengers annually. Still to be built: the control tower, cargo facilities, firefighting and rescue station, a weather station, access roads and sea defense works.

Financing for the $240 million airport is coming from an interesting mix of countries including Austria, Cuba, Iran, Mexico, Qatar, Turkey, Trinidad & Tobago and Venezuela. When completed, the airport will be able to accommodate Boeing 747-400 jets, allowing direct flights for the first time between Saint Vincent and major markets including the United States, Canada, Europe and South America.

The  government expects Argyle’s opening to spur significant tourism investments. Tax concessions and other benefits are being offered to investors to develop a number of sites. These prime pieces of real estate include Mount Wynne, Saint Vincent (400-acre site for a hotel and 18-hole golf course); Young Island (13-acre site for a 30-room hotel, 200 yards off the coast of Saint Vincent); Saint Hillaire, Bequia (45 acres); Park Estate, Bequia (600 acres); Isle a Quatre (376 acres); Balliceaux (320 acres); Chatham Bay (99-acre site near Union Island) and Frigate Island (16 acres with 400 acres of seabed for a marina and resort development).

The country has 99 hotel properties with a combined 2,114 rooms.  Last year, Saint Vincent received 207,997 visitors, down from the 231,121 who came in 2011. However, cruise ship calls increased from 119 in 2011 to 136 in 2012.

In nearby Saint Lucia, the country’s tourist board has launched a new online, print and TV ad campaign called “Lift Your Senses.” Created by Boston-based travel marketing firm ISM, the campaign seeks to differentiate the mountainous, volcanic island through vignettes that pair key Saint Lucia attractions with the five senses — sight, hearing, taste, touch and smell.

“This captures what sets Saint Lucia apart from other Caribbean destinations in a way that we believe will differentiate our island in a crowded competitive set,” said Louis Lewis, director of tourism for the Saint Lucia Tourist Board.

Larry Luxner

Larry Luxner is a freelance writer with The Washington Diplomat and former editor of CubaNews. Born and raised in Miami and now based in Israel, Larry has reported from every country in the Western Hemisphere. His specialty is Latin America and the Middle East, and he’s written more than 2,000 articles for publications ranging from National Journal to Saudi Aramco World. Larry also runs an Internet-based stock photo agency at www.luxner.com.