The Tribune

By IAN FERGUSON

THE Ministry of Tourism has just celebrated 50 golden years of service in advancing and promoting all that the Bahamas offers to the world. It was a year of acknowledging past accomplishments and highlighting significant individuals who have, and continue to contribute, to the growth and development of our number one industry.

No one will refute the tremendous impact that tourism has had in the social and economic development of the Bahamas. and while many call for focused attention on greater economic diversification, all efforts seem driven towards growing the industry for years to come.

We often celebrate the vast competitive advantage the Bahamas has over nations in the region, highlighting the blessings of location and proximity to the largest and strongest economy in the world; the strength of the Bahamian dollar; the multi-faceted and beautifully diverse product offerings; the advanced technological and infrastructural developments; and the fact that we had a 20-year start over most competitors. While these things set us apart as a major contender, and perhaps as a regional leader, some thought must also be given to the advantages that others laud over us.

The impending removal of trade restrictions between the US and Cuba, in existence since the 1960s, has left many pondering. How do we measure our standing in light of a new competitor entering the game? Will our approach to vertical markets, or our aggressive advance towards bourgeoning markets, allow us to keep pace with competition that seems to be stiffening?

It may be wise to spend some time in this discussion, addressing what visitors indicate might be game changers or could exclude us from strengthening the Bahamas’ brand.

• The criminal element among us seem to loom as the greatest threat to the future development of the tourism industry and, by extension, the Bahamian economy.

Being regarding among the world’s leading conflict zones certainly does not bode well with the visitor who is ultimately looking for a safe, drama-free travel experience. People travel for war either under duress or duty. No one expects, or deserves, to be robbed, raped, held up at gun point or harassed in any form during a vacation experience. Our individual, corporate and national efforts must stamp out the scourge of crime in our land.

• Our sluggish efforts to establishing the Bahamas as a major cultural-heritage contender has certainly set us behind countries in the region, including Cuba, where the culture, history and story is told on almost every street corner in full view of the visitor.

Junkanoo Carnival 2015 is certainly a ray of hope for exciting cultural things to come, but we must all (private and public sector alike) engage in more sustainable and consistent ways to deliver cultural and historical expressions of the Bahamian story for the visitor.

• Eco-friendly and ‘green smart’ destinations have risen to great prominence in the hearts of the 1.3 billion people who travel from their homeland to other nations.

We have received this warning as a destination on many occasions, yet we still seem lethargic in addressing management of the natural environment that we have been blessed with.

Sadly, even many of our Family Island destinations have suffered and succumbed to the cruel hand of garbage and waste. Preserving the pristine environment that visitors expect must be the goal of all.

• Everyone knows that the only thing that trumps the product element in the visitor experience is the service/people element. The decline in service to visitors and locals alike is a phenomenon that we must own, and devise strategies to combat. Everyone else has raised the bar with advanced national training efforts, public campaigns, community development programmes and the tightening of law enforcement and judicial punishment. We cannot continue to speak the language that education and training matters when our policies and actions indicate otherwise.

• NB: Ian R. Ferguson is a talent management and organisational development consultant, having completed graduate studies with regional and international universities. He has served organsations, both locally and globally, providing relevant solutions to their business growth and development issues. He may be contacted at tcconsultants@coralwave.com.