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EDITORIAL: A port for all or just for benefit of the cruise lines?

As of Tuesday, March 3, 2020

THE tensions between different sections of the Bahamian business market have been on show in recent days.

Royal Caribbean’s planned beach break destination on Paradise Island has prompted concerns about the company carving out its own extra share of the tourism market at the expense of others.

Initially, the Bahamian behind the plan to restore the lighthouse at the end of Paradise Island complained that he was being pressured to accept an “inferior” parcel of land to the one in a lease agreement from just two months ago so Royal Caribbean could be accommodated for its plans.

And we can only assume that Royal Caribbean are delighted with the prospect of being handed a prize piece of beach land just a short boat taxi ride away from where their cruise ships pull in.

The concern has quickly spread to traders downtown who wonder how can they survive if Royal Caribbean passengers are being pushed towards the company’s own hideaway rather than to spend their money in Bahamian businesses elsewhere.

It’s a pattern that we’re seeing regularly now – Disney with its plans for Lighthouse Point, Royal Caribbean’s other site at CocoCay, all seemingly part of a move by cruise lines to keep the visitor business to themselves.

They will, of course, argue that they want to provide the best possible experience for their passengers, an experience that is lacking in some of the tourism destinations available at present.

But what use is upgrading the port with the goal of helping to revive Bay Street and downtown Nassau, complete with plans for a whole new approach to the waterfront, if no one’s going to be walking through it?

As for the Royal Caribbean site on Paradise Island itself, will Bahamians be able to visit? Will it be subject to VAT and business taxes and all the things that rivals for the tourist dime on Bay Street have to pay?

Attorney General Carl Bethel says allowing Royal Caribbean to have its own private destination on Paradise Island is essentially a trade-off for the increased port and tourist fees to pay for the port upgrade – costing $250m – by Global Ports Holding. That begs the question what are the other cruise lines getting as a trade-off, and how much will it cost other Bahamians.

When we consider the tourism pot, we think of it as something that everyone can dip into for their share. If cruise lines are keeping the pot to themselves, what is the benefit – apart from fees going into the government pocket – for the rest of the country?

Changing the lease agreement a Bahamian has also already received seems inequitable – Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis only recently talked about taking the country back from foreign interests, isn’t this an example of taking from a Bahamian for the sake of a foreign interest?

What we need is a rising tide to lift all boats – not just Royal Caribbean’s luxury vessel. Visitors come to see The Bahamas, and the whole nation should benefit.

Now the work starts

As we raise concern over one development on Paradise Island, we also raise a cheer for Royal Caribbean on another front.

The signing of the deal for the Grand Lucayan resort, in association with the ITM Group, and the company’s plans for the development of Freeport Harbour could have a huge affect on tourism in Grand Bahama. Minister of Tourism Dionisio D’Aguilar projects it could mean a near sixfold rise in visitor arrivals.

Whatever the final numbers are, this has been a long time coming, and we welcome the deal for one reason more than any other – it’s time to get on with the revival. We wish the new owners the very best, and the greatest speed in completing their plans.

Will it prove vindication for the government’s purchase of the Grand Lucayan for $65m? The proof of that will be in the pudding. We hope so, for the sake of the unemployed of Grand Bahama who have suffered too long.

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Comments

Clamshell 4 years, 8 months ago

Well, as our friend TalRussell would say:

“Dem glibular comrade colony of we out islands comrades of imperial red shirts from dem comrades conch chowder done dropped comrade pants to dem shame from we imperial snollygoster over to dem righteous Bay Streetators, comrade gloms done predicated it once again. Yas? No?”

mandela 4 years, 8 months ago

I can guarantee this happens only in the Bahamas. country for sale, Land for sale, Crown land for sale, foreigners only need to apply, as a matter of fact, Oh instead of us selling we will actually give it all away to you, our supposed to be Leaders think that Bahamians are too Dumb to own anything in their own country anyway, and why not, the Chinese are fast taking over the ghetto, so these other foreigners might as well take over the rest, all, and any foreigner knows that Our leaders will comply to them ( all foreigners = Non-Bahamian. These are only a different time but the same action. In the year 1400 and 1500s it was the black leaders selling their own kind for money and today it is no different, 500 years later.

truetruebahamian 4 years, 8 months ago

Bahamas for Bahamians? That's a joke! Do you think that China or the U.S. would allow a foreigners first policy at the dire expense of the most highly taxed and touted historic destination of this country?

Alex_Charles 4 years, 8 months ago

Dumb deal. Bahamians can't OWN ANYTHING if Royal wins. This government should change their name to the Cruiseship National Movement.

Everyone giving away the country for maid and bartender jobs. We give so many tax breaks and concessions, I rarely see the point in these deals

BahamaPundit 4 years, 8 months ago

Very well written article. Cruiseships are now following the all inclusive resort model. They want a monopoly over passenger dollars at port of call, same as they have when their ships are at sea. The question soon becomes what is the advantage of a tourism product that doesn't benefit the Bahamian public? A hermetic seal is being made separating the Bahamian public from tourism dollars, which is a type of apartheid. The more all inclusive monopolies formed by foreigners, the more disastrous for the Bahamian entrepreneurial class.

TalRussell 4 years, 8 months ago

This has be a Fake News story?
You telling your Tribune readers that there actually exists such a thing as comrade natives - still with a heartbeat - whom actually can still be spotted operating any type tourists retail outlets on, or anywhere about's Bay Street? Really, the tourists have better odds of an Elvis sighting on Bay Street - than bumping into one Colony's natives!

Well_mudda_take_sic 4 years, 8 months ago

Repost:

Royal Caribbean’s interest in having its own private destination in Nassau is thought to have been sparked by the success Atlantis has enjoyed in attracting cruise passengers to its water park on day passes. It now wants to retain all this income, and appears likely to end up competing directly with Bay Street and Bahamian-owned businesses to achieve this.

Bay Street and downtown Nassau businesses have already reacted with fury to Royal Caribbean’s plans. Leon Griffin, Treasure Bahamas general manager, queried “how will Bay Street businesses survive” if Royal Caribbean’s ambitions are realised. He said: “We depend solely on the cruise passengers and those who are residing in the hotels who come downtown to purchase.

“But if they have their own spot, like how they have got the different cays, and when you go on the different cays nobody else benefits except themselves [the cruise lines], how could the Government of The Bahamas allow such a thing to happen?”

It's now all too obvious that certain of our most senior elected officials and their favoured cronies are "in bed" with the foreign owned cruise ship companies, especially Royal Caribbean, Carnival and Disney. It's no small wonder that the adjectives now most commonly used by many Bahamians to describe Minnis include: arrogant, nasty, incompetent, corrupt and evil.

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