The Tribune

By LEANDRA ROLLE

Tribune Staff Reporter

lrolle@tribunemedia.net

DESPITE the country’s economic fall-out from COVID-19, Labour Minister Dion Foulkes says he feels very optimistic “about the employment situation,” especially as it relates to the country’s tourism industry.

Pointing to several hotel properties’ upcoming reopening dates, the minister told reporters yesterday: “I want to say that I am very optimistic about the employment situation in The Bahamas, especially the touristic sector.

“We got notifications from Sandals that their hotel in Exuma will be opening at the end of February and the hotels here in Nassau would be opening the end of March. That is almost good news for almost a thousand employees at Sandals. We also got notifications that Baha Mar will be opening their other two hotels – the Rosewood and the SLS at the beginning of March. So, Baha Mar will be completely open and that is extremely good news.”

This comes as some properties are seeing a drop in bookings following US President Joe Biden’s announcement of a new quarantine requirement for travellers entering the United States.

On Monday, Atlantis announced plans to furlough more of its employees due to increasing cancellations, making it the second time in a month the major resort has sent staff back home since reopening in December 2020.

Speaking to The Tribune on Monday, president of the Bahamas Hotel Catering and Allied Workers Union (BHCAWU), Darrin Woods said Atlantis told union representatives it “got a lot of cancellations” after President Biden’s quarantine announcement last week.

Atlantis representatives declined to discuss the furlough on Monday, but Mr Foulkes told reporters yesterday the move has affected some 200 staff.

Still, he added the employment level at the major resort still remains the same. He also said officials are hopeful they will be able to re-engage those same employees by the end of the next month.

“With respect to Atlantis, the employment level at Atlantis remains the same,” Mr Foulkes said. “There’s no change in terms of the employment level. Atlantis has informed me that at the Royal Towers, they have furloughed approximately 200 employees, but they have re-engaged approximately 200 employees at The Cove.

“So, in terms of the employment level at Atlantis, there is no change. I am also advised by Atlantis that the spring break which is depending on which university begins around the end of February and goes from anywhere to three to four weeks, that they’re optimistic that they will be able to reopen the Royal Towers and re-engage those 200 employees by the end of February.”

Tourism Minister Dionisio D’Aguilar has already said that officials will seek an exemption for the new quarantine requirement, similar to the one sought for the US’ new testing policy which came in effect today.

However, The Bahamas has not yet been successful in its attempts to persuade US authorities in either matter.