EDITOR, The Tribune.
It was with disbelief that I read your article today that Tourism Minister Chester Cooper has declared that the Health Visa for Bahamian residents will be abolished. He says this is because of “too much complications”! What about the same problems facing international visitors wanting to come to The Bahamas?
As the longtime owner of travel agencies in upstate New York we formerly did very good business with your country. It was one of our most popular destinations. Now we are struggling to find anyone willing to book to The Bahamas. It is a difficult environment for the travel business with expensive tests required before tourists can enter or return to the USA, Canada and the UK. We do not need more complications for visitors by forcing them to fulfill all your cumbersome and complicated Visa procedures. Most people who have booked to you in the past have busy schedules and look forward to a hassle free holiday for awhile. They simply do not have the time or will to go through all your requirements just to come for a break. We can book them to every other southern destination without any complications and we are doing that every day. The Bahamas is getting lost on our travel horizon. For everywhere else we are booking the visitor arrives at the airport, shows their double vaccination certificate, receives their boarding pass and are on their way. Even some of our regular Bahamas visitors are now going elsewhere. We are also facing substantially reduced interest in cruises especially after all the stories of COVID-19 found on ships.
The Minister states that the Visa gives them “marketing information”. They always received those details on the forms completed on arrival at the airport. I understand the Visa is basically a tax and has little to do with health. If it were why are residents now exempted?
There have been numerous complaints over the past year by people in the travel business, residents and regular visitors about the Health Visa and all the uncertainties about travel confirmation and the hassles involved...However all their legitimate concerns have been brushed aside by your previous and current Tourism Minister and staff. For me it is regrettable that after years of booking my clients to The Bahamas we now face a situation where most of our clients are going to other places who are welcoming the business lost to you through your poorly conceived policies.
RICHARD J HANSON
Rochester, New York
December 9, 2021
Comments
Maximilianotto 2 years, 11 months ago
Marketing information? Jamaica and DR waiting, more competitive, better service, tough times ahead! Pity.
carltonr61 2 years, 11 months ago
The WHO/PAHO has taken control of the covid messaging. The Minnisitis crew of profiteering medical scientists is trying to control the fear for profits. Cooper, too is vulnerable to the local political hysterical press that seeks to gaslight unscientific non world data into anti PLP COVID health messages. Minnisitis covid philosophy that buried the FNM into a zombie is seeking ghost legitimacy for a fictitious scripted and destructive policy. People, lives, culture, education, finances and tourism all were destroyed as a few medical and tech monetized enterprises and entrepreneurs made millions,with some attempting to make profits for life by keeping covid and its fear relavent. Money makes strange bedfellows.
Alan1 2 years, 11 months ago
We desperately need a revival in tourism. That is the lifeblood of our economy. There have indeed as the writer says been many complaints from interested people about all the hassles caused by the Visa. Yet Chester Cooper claims it is needed for marketing information. Originally it was for health reasons. As very few could comply with the foolish rule that all the requirements had to be met within a five day period very few could comply so we had very few tourists. The Minister and staff have never told the public why a tourist presenting a double vaccination certificate at airport check in is not satisfactory. The Government and its friends in the online payment system were all making money with the Visa fee. Yet the tourism sector was badly damaged and hotel workers and local businesses have suffered by lack of employment and business. Why should anyone want to book to our country with all the time consuming rules for entry when they can go nearly everywhere else without any problems?It would be interesting to hear Chester Cooper's comments on these facts. The Government needs to abolish the Visa for everyone immediately.
realityisnotPC 2 years, 11 months ago
So sick and tired of hearing this guy whine and moan about the travel visa and all the alleged difficulties of travelling to The Bahamas. His clients must be seriously challenged if they can’t work it out. I have travelled in and out of The Bahamas at least 4 times under the travel visa rules, and never had a travel visa take more than 30 minutes to get approved. What’s more, the rules being applied by The Bahamas are far less strenuous than those applied by countries like the UK, and you are give two more days to get your tests in order than countries like the writer’s own USA gives you. And our hotels are enjoying pre-COVID occupancy rates in some cases! The writer must be living in some kind of parallel universe for people who aren’t mentally capable of the little extra bit of admin that travel in the Covid era requires.
moncurcool 2 years, 11 months ago
You are spot on. Could not agree with you anymore.
The US gives you 1 day. Don't hear him complaining about that.
This guy has some horse in a race somewhere.
carltonr61 2 years, 11 months ago
PC likes Tourist Industry workers begging. Either he is sadistic or filthy rich.
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