The Tribune

EDITOR, The Tribune.

Memory serves me well over the years that many times Prime Minister Perry Christie has for some uneducated purpose, wasted his time trying to sell to the Afro-American hotel sector.

I recall that when Magic Johnson, ex-Laker star came, all the talk that he was going to invest – so many after that. So many Afro-American church leaders likewise. So many prime ministerial speeches, all wasted pitching to the wrong persons.

Am I the only person who sees the change in the ethnicity of cruise passengers? I wonder if we are maintaining the already low “spend figure”, because daily we see a certain difference from a year or two ago. It is noteworthy that the price of cruises, have appreciably been discounted. Has the average spend decreased from US$70 per cruise passenger? Are low end cruise arrivals worthwhile?

Our own Sweetbells Thompson talked about some economic investment - nothing that anyone knows about.

There seems to be a specific concentration on the US Afro-American market that MOT are pitching to? I see this weekend British Colonial Hilton is offering rooms at a 45 per cent discount! Regularly even at Atlantis you see advertisements with a $250 cash coupon, then another coupon for in-resort spending and a room rate discount. Are these hotels making money or just staying open?

In contrast look at Turks & Caicos, St. Lucia, Antigua, Dominica, Barbados and Jamaica. 15-18 per cent plus increases year over year – spend up considerably – room revenue up considerably.

Have we got the whole Tourism marketing backwards? Keen supporter of quality against quantity!

Tourism DG - how can The Bahamas claim prowess in Heritage and Historic Tourism? Hmm did we organize in-house MOT employee voting in the recent Travel web site surveys to pump up the results?

W. THOMPSON

Nassau,

July 31, 2016.