A case study of Caribbean chartered airline services for possible application in the Eastern Cape

Abstract

Tourism is becoming a vital component of economic development in South Africa. In the light of South Africa having hosted the 2010 Football World Cup, it is important to identify sustainable tourism that continues to benefit the economy long after the event is over. The Eastern Cape is identified as a region that has not been entirely successful in attracting large number of tourists, despite its varied tourist attractions. One of the constraints to tourism development is the lack of direct flight connections with northern Europe. As a result, research into the development of charter services between Port Elizabeth, the largest city in the Eastern Cape, and selected northern European destinations is considered. The research looked at the successful tourism development policy in the Caribbean and aimed to identify how similar policies could work in the Eastern Cape. A comparative case study of the connection between the charter airline operations and tourism development in the Caribbean, with the focus on the Dominican Republic, was analysed to provide motivation for such research. Its findings can be related to the Port Elizabeth-based charter airline operation being considered in this study. A second objective was to identify constraints on the project or market failures which would prevent the implementation of charter services. The comparative case study was followed up by an actual cost benefit analysis of establishing a charter.