Moontown

Starting Summer 2010, GOL, the second largest airline in Brazil, will operate a Boeing 737 from Sao Paulo to Bridgetown once a week on Saturdays, with same-plane connections to Buenos Aires, Argentina and connections to Rio de Janeiro at no additional cost.

This will be the second scheduled service from Sao Paulo in Barbados’ history. In the mid-nineties, BWIA operated a flight from Port-of-Spain, Trinidad & Tobago through Barbados to Sao Paulo.

The new service was born out of meetings which the Barbados Tourism Authority (BTA), aided by Hon. Consul to Brazil, Jorge Nemr, held with GOL in Sao Paulo and in Barbados in August and September last year. Since then the parties have been in constant contact via e-mail and telephone. The flight will be promoted from March, 2010.

The failure of that BWIA flight influenced Barbados’ tourism officials to put down some safety nets and BTA’s aviation consultant, Neville Boxill, said the following factors are expected to lead to the success of this new venture: “the wide domestic reach of GOL; the large market to sustain the flight (with the connections to Buenos Aires and Rio); and the six tour operators on board, which cover 95% of Brazil, a major tour operator market.” Additionally, focus groups conducted to confirm the interest of Brazilians in Barbados.

Brazil was chosen as a target market because it is an emerging market in a new global economy. It has great influence internationally in tourism and business. It has been out of the recession since the fourth quarter of 2009. Brazilians are very interested in travelling and although they speak Portuguese, they are reasonably comfortable dealing with a second language.

According to local tourism officials, Brazilians are looking for sea, sand and sun destinations but also a destination with a certain level of sophistication and the infrastructure to which they are accustomed. This is therefore a good fit for Barbados. (Caribnet)