DoT and LocalIndustry Collaborate for New AA New York Direct Service
American Airlines has announced that commencingJune 15th they will fly direct on Saturday's and Sundays to GrandCayman from New York's John F. Kennedy Airport. Non-stop flight#662 will depart New York at 10am, arriving Owen Robert's InternationalAirport at 12:53pm.
Flight 639 will depart Grand Cayman at 2:05pmand arrive JFK at 6:34pm. American Airlines will utilize a Boeing757 aircraft with 176 seats for this route.
To support this new service to Grand Cayman,the Cayman Islands Department of Tourism and local industry partnershave teamed up to conduct a sales blitz throughout the New Yorkarea. The Blitz is planned for June 3-7 and will cover the NewYork and Connecticut areas concentrating on Long Island, Westchesterand Manhattan.
This outreach plans for teams of local industrymembers -- representing the accommodation, restaurant, and watersportsectors -- along with DOT reps to visit 400 top-producing travelagents. Informational kits, which will include details on AmericanAirlines' new service, the H2GO! Find Your Element summer promotionbeing offered within the destination, and general informationon the Cayman Islands, will be presented to each travel seller.
Local industry partners who will participatein the sales blitz include: Sunshine Suites, Hard Rock Café,Morritt's Tortuga, Hyatt Hotels and Resorts, Atlantis Submarine,Eden Rock, Comfort Suites, Columbia Sussex Group (owners of theMarriott, Westin and Holiday Inn).
Director for Tourism, Mrs. Lania Rittenhouseis excited that the industry and DOT are taking this opportunityto market the Cayman Islands and support the new American Airlinesroute. She comments, "These are great opportunities for usto grow the relationship between the DOT and the private sectorthroughout the Cayman Islands.
This synergistic approach by the Department,on-island service suppliers and the airlines serving the destinationis the type of approach that we need to employ more often to deliverresults for all stakeholders."
To mark American Airlines' NY-GCM inauguralflight on June 15th, the Department of Tourism will host a welcomereception at Owen Roberts' waiving gallery. The Minister for Tourism,the Hon. McKeeva Bush, will be on hand to welcome the crew andAA representatives, along with DOT's own US Director of Salesand Marketing, Ms. Pilar Bush who will arrive on that first flightfrom New York.