CRAN I only know a bit about the cost of training in this part of the world and it certainly puts people off. But you know what? It does not deter the total keen people who have always wanted to fly rotary. They make sacrifices and save up for it.
If it was half price, I do not believe twice the numbers (or more, as the Laffer curver would suggest) would come to train. Flying is a vocational aim or a selected pastime. The former requires sacrifice, the latter requires a level of wealth.
The auto companies of the world use a measure that when the GDP per head of a country reaches a set level, somewhere around US$4500, then cars start to be bought. A similar calculation (well, napkin and biro guesswork...) for the use of helicopters for leisure travel and sport flying shows a figure in the early twenties, say US$22,000. But when your look at countries with this level of wealth, you still see clubs and schools struggling to attract new pilots.
Price is not everthing, attitude and education sometimes play a part. A construction company here in HKG recently got a moderate contract to rebuild a pumping station on an offshore island. Most quotes used barges to move the equipment but one offered a helicopter. The latter won the contract on cost, much to the amazement of all concerned.
Didn't answer your question, but you get the drift.
And rotoboater, you may be pleasantly surprised to find that a part time pilot might be the answer. If they can save you the administrative hassle of a flight operation, you may be able to justify a part timer. e.g. a sub contract from a local flying school or a "retired" 58 year old who does not require the full social security millstone. And can your accountant put a value on the halo effect of arriving with your own pilot?