Bimini Booms with Expanded Airlift

Fri, Jan 6th 2012, 09:52 AM

The Big Game Club in Bimini is casting a wide net for 2012, armed with an expanded business model and a considerable boost in airlift.  After reopening in 2011 under the well-known Guy Harvey Outpost Resort and Marina banner, the fully-renovated  fishing destination saw a 13 percent spike in visitors through October year-on-year, according to Michael Weber, the general manager.

The resort is looking to build on this momentum for 2012.  "We are projecting another 15 percent increase in visitors," he told Guardian Business. "It's a goal, and we're looking to surpass that. The property has never been promoted for business retreats or weddings. We're starting that from scratch and we believe there is tremendous potential."

Located less than 50 miles from the Florida coast, the Big Game Club has poured millions into rooms, amenities and meeting spaces for group business.  Small meeting rooms in a classroom style can fit 50 people apiece, the new Hemingway Rum Bar offers a social atmosphere and an outdoor tent can seat 150 guests or more.  There is also a Gulfstream Conference center for retreats and business meetings.

Known for some of the best game fishing in the world, the Bimini resort, consisting of 51 rooms and 75 marina slips, seeks to add more diverse activities to the menu as well, including water sport activities and nature tours.  To fuel these developments, Weber told Guardian Business that airlift and general transportation to Bimini is poised to dramatically rise.

Silver Airways, formerly Gulfstream International, recently added a second daily flight out of Fort Lauderdale to Bimini, and in March, the plane's capacity will increase from 19 seats to 32 with the introduction of the company's new Saab 340 aircraft.  Darrell Richardson, the CEO of Silver Airways, told Guardian Business that Bimini is a "good route for us".  "We'll probably grow that route and could move to more than two direct flights per day this year," he said.

IBC Airways will offer four times a week from Fort Lauderdale, along with Western Air Services twice a week through Nassau.  North Florida residents will benefit from AirGate Aviation announcing regular service to Bimini. And finally, Tropic Ocean Airways shifts from a charter service to regular service as of March this year.  According to Weber, as a seaplane, Tropic can "pull right up at the resort onto the floating docks".

"The boats coming over here have their means of transportation. The airlift is critical. A lot of people don't realize we have daily service. The first question people often ask is how you get here. Now, you can get here through multiple airlines and routes," he added.  Another potential public transportation service is The Bahamas Express, the high-speed ferry service leaving from Fort Lauderdale. Future plans, he said, call for more stopovers in March, such as Bimini.

Weber pointed out that peak season at the Big Game Club is expected to be the summer, when boaters tend to come out in force and fishing season is in full swing. However, new group and wedding business, along with general tourism through marketing and rising airlift, should drive more traffic all year around, according to management.

"We're fortunate to have our high season that's different from everyone else," Weber explained. "We're looking to the summer because of the nature of tourism we receive. But now we want to revamp our business model and see how we can fill those winter months when we know the snow birds will be flying in."

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