HARLINGEN, Texas - Valley International Airport leaders believe the Winter Texan visitors that fly into Harlingen this season will have an economic impact on the region of $60 million-plus.
Nicolás J. Mirman, director commercial director for VIA, gave an exclusive interview to the Rio Grande Guardian International News Service about the importance of tourists from the Upper Midwest to the Rio Grande Valley.
In the interview he thanked Sun Country Airlines, Delta Air Lines, and American Airlines for their belief in the Valley and for bringing Winter Texans in from colder climes up north. And he urged Valley residents to continue to make the Winter Texans feel at home so that they want to come back year after year.
“The Winter Texans season is already here and is going at full pace. We have the three airlines that have already scheduled their services. We have Sun Country, with the traditional service from Minneapolis they have had in place for more than 30 years. That service has been in place since the last week in September. They’re going to go all the way through May,” Mirman said.
“Then, airline number two is Delta. They started flying the first week of September and they will go all the way through May from Minneapolis, with a caveat that Delta offers unique connectivity to the Winter Texans in the Upper Midwest and Canada. Thirty-five to 40 cities, from all these cold places that are looking for the warmth of the Rio Grande Valley.
“Delta offers unique connectivity through Minneapolis. And so it is interesting to see the planes landing with people from Minneapolis but then, also other places like Fargo, Minot, Indianapolis, Grand Rapids, all the Upper Midwest. The Winter Texas from those cities get into the Delta planes to get down to the Rio Grande Valley for the winter.”
The third airline that caters for Winter Texans in the Upper Midwest, Mirman said, is American.
“They will have a little bit of a shorter season this year. But they will be flying nonstop to Chicago - something like everybody in the Rio Grande Valley is always asking for. They will be flying to Chicago and connections to more than 30 cities over there in the Upper Midwest as well. Starting you know the peak of of the spring break season, end of February all the way through April, with a plane that has first class, economy class and one in the middle.”
Mirman said those three airlines bring in a lot of Winter Texans.
“We're super excited. We will have more than 60,000 seats each way between October all the way to May. Specifically to Upper Midwest. Passengers coming in for the winter Texan season.”
Asked how many of those seats will be filled, Mirman said: “Well, you know, it's up to the Valley to attract the people. But, we are thinking that 85 to 90 percent of all the seats will be full.”
Mirman then discussed the economic impact.
“We estimate that the economic impact of these seats will be north of $60 million for the whole Rio Grande Valley. And that is after they have bought their tickets. In my estimation, that is a very conservative number. Very, very conservative. These Winter Texans will spend money in hotels, in restaurants, in buying stuff, the money that they will spend here could be north of $60 million.”
Mirman said what VIA cares about is retaining the airlines.
“It is not so much about trying to bring new routes, although that sounds very sexy. The real objective of an airport is that once we get something, that it works, that we are able to fill it up as much as possible. It is actually a challenge for the for the region to be able to attract those 60,000 potential passengers from the Upper Midwest. But if we do a good job, then next year those seats will be in the market again. And we will be able to repeat that $60 million next year and the year after and the year after and grow it and grow it and grow it.”
Mirman added: “It's all about keeping business and if we keep that business owner successful way we will be able to responsibly be able to attract more business. If we attract business this year and the planes are not filled, next year they are not going to be here - unless we subsidize them, which is something we don't want to do. We have never done that.”
Here is a video recording of Part One of the Guardian's exclusive interview with Mirman:
https://youtu.be/xBj_gPDFDlM
