The Tribune

By ADRIAN GIBSON

ajbahama@hotmail.com

FRANKLY, the termination of contracts between the Ministry of Tourism and international public relations companies, in favour of local companies, seems to indicate that the ministry has decided that the best way to promote the Bahamas and recapture and expand market share is to allow natives—with an everyday outlook on all things Bahamian—to have a shot at reinvigorating that ministry’s approach to the marketing and development of our tourism product.

Based on the statement by Tourism Minister Obie Wilchcombe, the ministry appears set on utilizing local talents and re-evaluating and assessing past contractual undertakings with foreign companies that yielded little to no dividends. I applaud this move as it speaks to truly believing in Bahamians and to a notion of seeking to advance sustainable tourism and targeting new markets with the focal point being centred on the Bahamian perspective.

In previous columns, I’ve called for greater emphasis to be placed on deepening the Bahamas’ appeal to corporate, religious and sports groups as well as medical tourists. I think that the visit by the Miami Heat this week could potentially lead to positive upshots in the tourism sector, particularly as it relates to sports tourism. The residual effect of having the reigning NBA champions coming to the Bahamas to practise could heighten the brand and result in other major sporting organizations—from colleges to professional sports—emulating the same approach to pre-season preparation and/or games. It would be a coup if we could have a few NBA games played in the Bahamas, just as they have played pre-season games in Canada, England, France and China in the recent past. I think that the collaborative effort between the tourism ministry and Atlantis was a creative approach and should be translated into all sports—from swimming to track and field—particularly in those sports that we have world-class facilities for (e.g. basketball courts, the stadium, the swim complex). So, the question is, what kind of innovative appeal could we offer to sports teams, or personalities, that would excite them to come to the Bahamas and, moreover, deepen our incursion into this niche market.

Quite honestly, a feasibility study should be undertaken to determine the return of investment relative to the Miami Heat’s practice sessions, so that we could better craft our marketing message and see how best to approach this growing facet in our local touristic offering.

What was the overall cost—shared between Atlantis and the Ministry of Tourism—to bring in the Miami Heat?

Whilst I believe in the potential of sports tourism, I must note that more could be done of the part of the organizers of Speedweek. Thus far, Speedweek—though going into its third year—seems to merely be surviving but it is poorly marketed and hasn’t led to the returns that were once projected.

What about an attempt to convince Michael Jordan to put on an international basketball camp for locals and foreigners (perhaps in several communities throughout the islands), in addition to the golf tournament he already hosts at Atlantis? Or, would he be too expensive?

How about having Mychal ‘Sweet Bells’ Thompson host an international basketball clinic, perhaps alongside some of his NBA superstar friends and former teammates (e.g. Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, etc) and current players? As Sweet Bells already has a budding NBA star as a son—Golden State guard Klay Thompson—he would truly be giving back if he actively involved himself or was asked to be involved in such a local initiative, not just for the touristic value but also for the inspirational significance it would have upon local athletes.

Transitioning a bit, one is pleased to note that the minister has seemingly adopted a new approach to tourism, targeting new markets and incorporating a focus on regional and Latin American tourism.

That said, we must move to implement a plan for the sustainable promotion of domestic and foreign tourism throughout the archipelago, promoting the collection of islands as different, unique destinations. As a Family Islander, I feel that the proposed Family Island promotional plan would do wonders for the depressed economies of many of the islands and significantly advance the quality of life of many residents in these communities through further development, greater airlift, jobs and so on. For many islanders who are owners of boutique resorts, local and international promotional exercises focused on specific islands would result in a much need economic kick-in-the-pants. As a whole, the government must do much more to encourage Bahamian ownership in tourism, i.e. ownership of large scale resorts, boutique hotels, bed and breakfast, bonefish lodges, etc.

Next week, I’ll be travelling to Harbour Island and as one who grew up on an island and been to many of the islands, I can say that each island has its own, unique characteristics. Each one of these idyllic enclaves, littered across our archipelago, stand out on their own! Over the years, I have heard and personally seen many Family Island resorts fail due to a lack of support and promotions, and so the new approach to highlighting the distinction and indigenous nature of the Family Islands, is welcomed and would perhaps result in a return of natives—who come to Nassau for opportunities—to live in and further develop their hometowns.

Kudos to the Minister and the Ministry of Tourism!

While I’m at it, I would also look forward to seeing a plan to redevelop and reactivate the Over-the-Hill area as the indigenous source of entertainment and culture. Today, most tourists are discouraged from traversing Over-the-Hill and, considering the rate of crime, justifiably so. Over-the-Hill was once a hotbed of touristic action, featuring restaurants, nightclubs and the world-famous Cat and Fiddle nightspot, the Drumbeat Club, the Lemon Tree, the Silver Slipper and many more. These days, even the native eateries are becoming extinct, replaced by fast food outlets and Chinese restaurants.

GARBAGE & OIL

I have always credited Minister of Environment Kenred Dorsett with being one of Mr Christie’s most competent ministers. However, the failure of his ministry to ensure the timely collection of garbage is nothing short of disgraceful. As I traverse the streets on Nassau, I see mounds of garbage and flies and I sometimes find myself confronted by the scent of decaying garbage. Mr Dorsett must do a better job at ensuring that this arm of his ministry properly functions, as uncollected garbage and other filth could lead to health implications and paint Nassau as one of the nastiest cities in the Caribbean.

Moreover, as it relates to oil drilling, I’ve often wondered how Mr Dorsett could be the minister with oversight for the environment and its protection, but at the same time being the ministry that speaks to all matters related to oil exploration. On the face of it, it appears that that is representative of a gross conflict of interest. One cannot fairly serve two masters—one being the people and our environment and the other being oil companies. My five cents!