The Tribune

By Ricardo Wells

Tribune Staff Reporter

rwells@tribunemedia.net

THE Minnis administration has committed the funds needed to construct a new airport terminal at Great Harbour Cay, Berry Islands within the next year, Tourism and Aviation Minister Dionisio D’Aguilar has confirmed.

The project will act as a conduit for the island chain as it looks to capitalise on the tourism boom associated with Royal Caribbean International’s (RCI) Perfect Day a Coco Cay development.

Mr D’Aguilar said the massive $250m project offers a tremendous opportunity for growth and the overall development of the Berry Islands.

He said the current air terminal, which has been described by some as the worst in the country, must be addressed immediately to service the expansion of the island chain’s tourism product.

Several observes on hand for Friday’s ceremony, including Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis and Mr D’Aguilar, did raise concerns with the state of the Berry Islands’ infrastructure.

In recent years, the Berry Islands has seen very little improvement. The Tribune understands that a large percentage of what has been done, was proposed, funded and executed by foreign direct investors, namely RCI. In fact, residents on hand for Friday’s ceremony credited the cruise line with improving key components of the community, including the purchase of a new ambulance, a locally outfitted fire truck and the ongoing reconstruction of a community centre.

In his speech on Friday, Dr Minnis applauded RCI for its philanthropic work across the island chain — primarily its undertaking at the community centre, which had remained stagnant for more than 15 years.

“With (RCI’s) assistance, this centre will become a reality by the end of this July. The building will serve as a community centre and hurricane shelter,” he said to resounding applause.

As for Coco Cay itself, Dr Minnis called it a milestone for the relationship between the Bahamas and RCI. He said the amenities at the luxury cruise destination — the tallest water slide in North America, the largest wave pool in the Caribbean and, helium balloons that take you 450 feet up in the air — guarantees that visitors to the cay will have a memorable and enjoyable experience, which will bode well for the Bahamas moving forward.

In line with this, Mr D’Aguilar said Coco Cay “raises the standards” of what visitors to the Bahamas now expect during their vacations.

“It is incredible,” he said. “You have everything here; you’ve got your rides, you’ve got your beaches, you’ve got water sports, you’ve got everything you want to do. It is all here, and in a very control, very neat, very tidy environment and this is what our tourists are experiencing. So, when they come to our population centres, we really have to improve the standard and quality of the service that we are offering.”

Mr D’Aguilar also implored young Bahamians to take advantage of the new opportunities created with the introduction of Coco Cay. He said in addition to host of job opportunities, there were also entrepreneurial opportunities for young Bahamians to partner with RCL to enhance an already great product.

“So Bahamians need to apply. There are positions here. I saw a lot of non-Bahamian employees on this island, so obviously, there are opportunities for Bahamians but the need to apply and be trained. There are a lot of entrepreneurial opportunities as well. So Bahamians need to rise up so we can get a greater share of the pie from these types of projects in The Bahamas.

“It is very important that we follow right through, instead of just getting a job, there are business and entrepreneurial opportunities that are here too; that is why brought the Tourism Development Corporation when we came,” Mr D’Aguilar insisted.

According to RCI’s president and CEO Michael Bayley, Coco Cay has rocketed to the top of cruise line’s list of preferred destinations since its opening earlier this spring.

Roughly 20 percent of cruise passengers who visit The Bahamas on an annual basis arrive via RCI ships and RCI has projected an annual increase in arrivals by 2m by 2020.