Caribbean tourism

from today's USA Today (6/27):

Airline cutbacks cause concern in the Caribbean
By Barbara De Lollis and Barbara Hansen, USA TODAY

"Could airline cutbacks send Caribbean beachgoers elsewhere this winter?

That's the growing concern of Caribbean tourism industry leaders as they grapple with a double whammy of reduced air service and a slumping U.S. economy.

A reduction in air service — the only way for most Americans to reach the Caribbean's white-sand beaches — could make the journey less convenient and airfares more expensive, ultimately discouraging trips." ...

"For December, U.S. airlines scheduled 17% less service from the lower 48 states to the Caribbean islands, including Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, compared with December 2007, according to an analysis of OAG flight schedules. Other findings:

•Of the five carriers that provide most of the service — American, US Airways, Delta, Continental and JetBlue — only JetBlue grew capacity.

•Service is down to the four most-served islands. In December, Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic will have 26% less service; Jamaica is down 15%, and the Bahamas down 10%." ...

for the complete story including tables