Tourism News

Saba's airport runway a possible tourist destination

Story and photo by Suzanne Nielsen and reprinted with permission of the Daily Herald.

May 27, 2009

SABA-Last week's SMART tourism trade show on St. Maarten could not have come at a better time for young German entrepreneur Axel Schloffer. He added a quick Saturday tour to Saba.

Director of Tourism Glenn Holm (left) introduces Axel Schloffer, German tour operator to Winair.

Schloffer said that he met representatives from St. Maarten tourism industry at ITB (International Tourism Bourse) in Berlin earlier this year and made arrangements with them to attend St. Maarten's regional hospitality trade show, SMART. He recently launched his web site www.luftundschiene.de, ('air and tracks") and has already added St. Maarten. He will be uploading pictures from his trip as soon as he returns home.

At the beginning of the year, Schloffer decided to start his own business. "It's not just about the destination, but how you get there," he emphasized. An inveterate traveler, himself, Schloffer wanted to offer something new and he invented a different approach to travel marketing, with a concentration on travel by air or on tracks. This corner of the Caribbean supplied him with some sensational air experiences with its small airplanes and incredible landings on Saba and St. Barts.

The Saba landing and ultra short runway is unique in the world and would be of definite interest to the adventurer traveler, Schloffer said. He got special permission at the airport to take close up photos of the Twin Otter landing.

Schloffer's web site has some unusual interpretations of air and tracks: air travel includes hot air balloons and travel on tracks includes some recreational parks where decommissioned tracks have self-propelled cars for two to four people. He also includes a list of related activities such as dedicated museums, special air shows, special train excursions, or anything out of the ordinary that has to do with these two modes of travel. The two unusual landings he experienced here will have pride on place in his tour offerings.

Director of Tourism Glenn Holm showed Schloffer several island properties, restaurants, and they enjoyed the Well's Bay beach area. The young German tour operator also had a chance for a hike on Saba's well known trails.

Click here for a larger version of the photo.


Back to tourism news page.

Story and photograph © Suzanne Nielsen, 2009.