The Tribune

By NICO SCAVELLA

Tribune Staff Reporter

nscavella@tribunemedia.net

AN irate citizen criticised Bahamas Airport Advertising, the advertising company for the Lynden Pindling International Airport for opting to place a Miami, Florida advertisement in the arrivals section of the airport.

In an email sent to The Tribune, the resident raised concerns about the placement of foreign advertisements in the airport.

The email read: “When passengers descend the steps into baggage claim they (are) first greeted by this electronic billboard and then when they’re waiting for their bags (there is) this huge one suggesting all the tourists shop in Miami instead. Bahamian taxpayer money goes into this facility and we are advertising go to Miami.”

Attempts by The Tribune to reach John Charles Bethel, president of BAA, were unsuccessful up to press time. However, a senior representative at the company who wished not to be named said the ad placement would “absolutely not” have a negative affect on tourism.

“This company is 100 per cent Bahamian owned and operated,” he said. “We have 100 clients, and 99 per cent of our clients are Bahamians. All of our proceeds go towards bettering the airport. We’re committed to all things Bahamian.

“I don’t think an American is going to come into the Bahamas, see a 10-second ad for Florida and then fly right back out.”

When contacted by The Tribune for comment Robert Myers, chairman of the Bahamas Chamber of Commerce and Employers Confederation, said he didn’t see the positioning of the advertisements as an “unhealthy situation.” However, he said there should be some sensitivity as to “the amount of ads that are foreign versus local.”

“Obviously in the departure lounge you’d want to be advertising ‘US whatever,’” Mr Myers said. “I would think the objective is that you’re trying to get Bahamians to look at those places. At our arrivals lounge I don’t think it makes much sense to advertise things other than Bahamian things, but that to me is entirely up to the person wishing to place the ad.

“I could understand where people would get upset,” he added. “If for example you’re walking down the causeway and you have this huge display of Atlantis and future Baha Mar. If that space had Disney World instead I could see people getting outraged at that. Those are prime spaces. If we’re not taking advantage of them there’s something wrong with that.

“If it’s above a baggage carousel and it’s one ad within a loop of 10, I see no issue with that at all. But clearly any major or featured location, we need to be promoting our own products. One ad in a billboard loop of ads for something in Florida is something in which I don’t see any harm.

“I think we need to be a little less sensitive, and perhaps sensitive as well to make sure that those spaces aren’t dominated by those types of ads and Bahamian companies have an equal or greater opportunity to advertise in those spaces,” he added.