The Tribune

EDITOR, The Tribune.

Our family have regularly visited The Bahamas for many years and have liked it so much that we purchased a vacation property. We keep abreast of events there by reading The Tribune online.

We are now gravely concerned about the current developments in the tourism sector. We continually read with a mixture of sorrow and disbelief at the statements coming from government people, union leaders and local residents.

On the one hand, there appears to be great excitement at the reopening of hotels, especially the large resorts, but on the other hand an attitude propagated by medical professionals interviewed by the media about the great dangers coming from allowing visitors to arrive.

It seems like an irrational fear that nearly all tourists are carriers of the COVID-19 virus and they should be clamped down on with harsh restrictions.

A need for a reality check is immediately required. Unless some common sense prevails very soon there will be no tourist industry at all and the hotels will remain mostly empty.

Your story about a 99 percent drop in visitors in September should have set off alarm bells and warnings of what is to come unless the entry rules are changed.

When I was young and visited Nassau with my parents there were very few West Indian destinations served by flights from New York City.

Cuba had been popular but was then barred to Americans due to problems with the Castro regime.

So The Bahamas benefited being so close to the US.

Warnings to your Tourism Ministry should have been noted when President Barack Obama started to open the American tourist market to Cuba.

President Donald Trump put an end to most of that opening.

However Joe Biden may well again allow American tourism. This could seriously affect The Bahamas.

Right now you have gone from an easy place to book a holiday to the most difficult in the whole area.

We are not even certain we can come this year because of the poorly conceived rules.

With other destinations offering much easier entry and welcoming visitors why should anyone, except the most loyal fans of The Bahamas, even want to undertake all the steps required just to come for a holiday?

We feel trapped because we own a property there and are almost compelled to travel to The Bahamas. Most other people will go elsewhere.

Despite all the complaints from overseas people written to your newspaper and to the Tourism Ministry which I understand rarely replies to concerns the Government still adheres to the rigid rules.

Why should prospective visitors have to spend large sums on obtaining COVID-19 tests if they are even available in their area, take time to get and fetch the written results, send them by computer to Nassau and not know when confirmation will arrive and be expected to take a flight or connecting flights and be in Nassau within five days?

The easiest method would be to test upon arrival or even allow people to bring a test which is still a logistical problem for many people. Our travel agency was formerly a great booster for The Bahamas.

However, when we visited recently they said they have all but given up any interest in getting clients to book there.

It is just too cumbersome, expensive and with too many uncertainties so they are sending clients to other southern destinations who are eager for visitors.

If the current situation continues The Bahamas will be very badly affected and so many Bahamians reliant on the tourism industry will be without employment and the economy seriously in decline for a very long time. Let us hope change comes very soon.

ALEXANDER ROBERTSON

Albany, New York,

United States.

December 8, 2020.