The Tribune

By Roderick A. Simms II

Bahamas Chamber of Commerce director and Family Island division chairperson

Island Overview

The cradle of Bahamian rake 'n' scrape music, obeah and plantations, Cat Island is the undisputed cultural heart of the Bahamas. While finding sustainable ways to monetise Cat Island's cultural exports has proven challenging, the island presents opportunities for Bahamians across cultural and more traditional tourism markets. Unlike many other islands in the southern Bahamas, much of the groundwork for small and medium-sized tour enterprises and supporting businesses has already been laid. However, Cat Island's ability to flourish as a cultural hotspot for visitors seeking unfamiliar experiences will likely hinge on the Government's willingness to honour a critically-needed infrastructure upgrade to the island's air facilities.

Cultural Tourism

Cat Island has long hosted some of the country's most recognisable festivals, including the Cat Island Regatta in New Bight and the Rake 'N' Scrape festival in Arthur's Town, which features live music and a 'battle of the bands', while highlighting Cat Island's unique arts, crafts and culinary products. Cat Island boasts some of the country's most extensive and best-preserved plantations, including the Armbrister and Golden Grove sites, thus providing rich cultural heritage attractions for visitors seeking experiences beyond beaches. The scope and condition of these sites could provide young Bahamians with excellent opportunities to launch guided tour companies, offering walking tours and other historical experiences to visitors.

These start-ups could greatly benefit from technical and promotional support via some of the Ministry of Tourism's recent cultural initiatives, such as the Bahamas Geotourism Mapguide. The Mapguide, a collaborative effort between the Ministry of Tourism, the National Geographic Society and Complete Caribbean, is an online database that allows residents and visitors to chart and promote points of interest - and local businesses - for visitors across Cat Island and other Family Islands. Ministry of Tourism officials believe that the service, a first for the region, can expose the Family Islands to 50 million potential customers.

Cat Island is also home to the famous Mount Alvernia Hermitage, built by renowned architect and priest, Father John Hawes. The site, built near the highest point in the Bahamas, has long served as a tourist attraction, and stands to grow more popular as the Ministry of Tourism further invests in its 'religious tourism' initiatives. Conversely, those visitors searching for more unconventional spiritual attractions may turn their attention towards Cat Island's rich obeah tradition. In addition to the new online resources available to local businesses, the Antiquities, Monuments and Museums Corporation (AMMC) recently identified two potential heritage centre sites as part of a study of Cat Island's cultural history, paving the way for small-scale museum and tour ventures.

Ecotourism and

Marina Services

Cat Island is already well-positioned for growth in traditional tourism ventures as it fosters its cultural industries, thanks to growing online exposure for its boutique hotels through the previously mentioned Geotourism Mapguide, as well as more established hotel rating services, such as TripAdvisor. Cat Island is home to some of the most beautiful beaches in the country and, unlike some islands in the region, stands out by having long, scenic beaches available to the public on both its eastern and western shores. The Cat Island Wetlands, located near the southeastern corner of the island, is also classified as an Important Bird Area, which opens up new opportunities for young Bahamian guides interested in the rapidly-growing birdwatching market.

Cat Island has enjoyed healthy growth in visitor arrivals since 2014, thanks in large part to increased support from the Out Islands Promotion Board (OIPB) despite lacking an international airport. Arrivals in Cat Island increased by more than 10 per cent between 2015 and 2016 alone, as the Ministry of Tourism and OIPB continue providing travel incentives to visitors flying through New Providence.

Cat Island also offers exquisite deep-sea fishing experiences for both yachters and visitors seeking charter services. The Hawk's Nest Resort and Marina, located at Devil's Point, currently serves as Cat Island's only major marina, and hosts several annual big game fishing tournaments that draw many crews from the Bahamas and the US. While Hawk's Nest provides ample services for those travelling or fishing between Cat Island and New Providence, those yachters travelling throughout the southern Bahamas are left with no alternative on the eastern shore. Subsequently, potential investors may consider developing a marina on the southeastern end of the island to potentially attract a portion of the long-distance yachting market that is likely to skip Cat Island altogether, given its current lack of facilities.

Challenges

Issues relating to dwindling populations and poor infrastructure are endemic throughout the southern Bahamas, and Cat Island is no exception. Although it offers strong primary and secondary education to its residents, the island has long struggled with the social and economic impact of population drain, as the bulk of its young adults migrate to New Providence or abroad after completing their high school education each year. Aside from the expected 'brain drain' of skilled labour that coincides with such migration, Cat Island is also experiencing a decrease in its unskilled labour force. As a result, retirees and the elderly comprise a growing percentage of the island's current population of roughly 1,200 full-time residents, and it is unlikely that Cat Island's youth will opt to stay without renewed investment in the island - particularly its infrastructure.

Poor infrastructure arguably remains the greatest obstacle to economic growth and steady investor interest in Cat Island. Despite the recent uptick in visitor arrivals, the lack of an international airport constrains growth within the tourism sector, though the island currently enjoys regular flights to and from New Providence. To date, the status of a long-awaited upgrade for New Bight Airport, which would cost an estimated $14 million and finally allow Cat Island to receive international flights, remains up in the air.

Despite backing the improvements in 2015, the previous administration later voiced concerns about the infrastructure project without greater assurances from property developers. This uncertainty has proved to be a point of contention with prospective developers, including Cat Island Partners and their PGA Village project, which was envisioned as the 'anchor project' for the island.

Further improvements to Cat Island's other public services, including electricity and running water, are also required. Potential investors or entrepreneurs should be aware that many business owners are currently dependent on generators and private wells to meet the utility demands of their clients year-round.

Moving Forward

As is often the case in the Bahamas, the pace of growth will heavily depend on the Government's willingness to invest in infrastructure. Cat Island is currently stuck in a 'chicken-and-egg' situation between an international airport and large-scale tourism projects, with government officials unwilling to commit to costly upgrades without firmer investment promises, and property developers uneasy to invest in the island without the needed boost in airlift.

Islands such as the Exumas have already enjoyed the benefits brought about by regular international airlift, and Cat Island will likely experience a surge in interest from developers and potential visitors should the Government make good on its long overdue promise to upgrade the facilities at New Bight Airport.

• Roderick A. Simms II

Bahamas Chamber of Commerce director and Family Island division chairperson, RASII@ME.com