Business View Caribbean - July 2016 53
that will start in 2017. We have started all the prepara-
tions already and the renovations will be spread over
three years.” Most of the work will be done during Sep-
tember and October, when the Langley closes for the
slow season.
Helping to spur the Langley’s occupancy rate, which
averages about 70 percent on an annual basis, but
can fluctuate anywhere between 30 or 40 and up to
95 percent, depending on the season, has been Nor-
wegian Airlines decision to fly directly to the French
West Indies from three U.S. cities – New York, Boston,
and Washington/Baltimore since December of last
year. Raaijmaakers reports that Norwegian will con-
tinue the service this coming winter as it has proved
very successful for the airline. “It also helped the local
economy of Guadeloupe and has positively increased
our occupancy,” he declares. Norwegian recently add-
ed another flight from Miami into Guadeloupe as of
December 2016.
Last but not least, Raaijmaakers is very proud of the
fact that the highly successful, BBC TV crime series,
“Death in Paradise,” has been shot on Guadeloupe for
six years, and that the Langley Resort Fort Royal hosts
the majority of the film crew when they are working
in and around Deshaies. “Several episodes even took
place at the Resort,” he beams.
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