The Tribune

By YOURI KEMP

Tribune Business Reporter

ykemp@tribunemedia.net

Family Island resorts are hoping yesterday's end to the mandatory 14-day quarantine for travellers coming from New Providence will spark a repeat of July's domestic tourism boost.

Chris Morris, the Cape Eleuthera Resort and Marina's general manager, speaking to Tribune Business before yesterday's imposition of more restrictive measures on the island, said: “Everything is fine right now. The marina is open but the hotel and the restaurant are not open as yet. I am pushing very hard for a mid-month opening for Thanksgiving time and trying to get the ball rolling again.

“I feel like we have to get the inter-island travel opened back up. We had a big boost from domestic travel in July when we were opened briefly. I know people are ready to get out of the big city of Nassau and get away a little bit.

“We’ve got good reservations come Christmas, and in New Year’s I expect to be sold out. I pray that’s the case. Unfortunately, however, the COVID-19 numbers in Eleuthera keep going up. I think as of last week Thursday the count was over 100, whereas a few weeks prior it was only 30. There is a lot of heresay.”

The Government has moved to facilitate the resumption of domestic travel, albeit still with COVID-19 health and safety measures, by eliminating the mandatory 14-day quarantine with effect from yesterday.

In a move also designed to harmonise the travel regime for Bahamians/residents with that for foreign visitors, persons travelling from New Providence to other Family Islands now have to present a negative COVID-19 PCR test taken within the five-day window prior to flying and also submit to a rapid antigen test five days after arriving.

“I really feel they needed to decide something on domestic travel quickly," Mr Morris added. "I don’t think it was fair to the locals to keep the quarantine in place if you were to come over from Nassau, but at the end of the day it is anybody’s guess as to what the best course of action is. We just have to try our best to protect one another.

“I pray for a good end of year. I find it very encouraging to see that Atlantis and Baha Mar are trying to get it going before the end of December. I just feel like they really are the two biggest players that the 'average Joe' from the United States looks at and says: 'Well, if they’re closed then The Bahamas isn’t open'. It’s just perception.”

Matthew Brear, general manager of Long Island's Cape Santa Maria resort, said: “Currently, the weather is our only problem. Once this storm passes we hope things will slowly get back to normal.”

Adelaide Andrews, general manager of the Hut Pointe Inn, Eleuthera, added: “There is absolutely zero in current guests or future reservations. Not a single guest. I don’t see how that’s going to change much.

“I’ve heard from some of my previous guests who come every year. So far, I’ve spoken to nine families, and they’ve all said the same general things. They are unwilling to pay extra money for testing for what amounts to a seasonal flu. And there aren’t many flight options anyway, so they’re just going to stay in the US/Canada for the holiday season.

“Another thing I’m hearing is frustration with the Government for calling the mandatory testing 'health insurance'. It’s not insurance; it’s testing, but the verbiage is confusing and because of that people have even less trust in the Government. Six of the nine families I spoke with remarked about it.”