The Tribune

EDITOR, The Tribune.

I have operated travel agencies in the Maine and eastern Massachusetts area for many years.

Over all this time The Bahamas has been a popular destination for our clients. It was easy to book people there and convenient air connections. However since the pandemic our business to your country has drastically reduced. The Bahamas has become one of the most difficult countries for entry regulations.

Your Health Visa must be abolished if we are to see any increase in bookings to The Bahamas. It is too cumbersome and requires too many hassles for the tourists. When we have to advise prospective visitors about the Visa they nearly all say to book them elsewhere. Most people simply do not have the time or will to complete the forms and pay the fees when we can easily send them to nearly all other southern countries without any hassles.

I was shocked to read in The Tribune this past few days that the Health Visa has become a money making operation for firms associated with the Government. It is not just for “health safety” reasons. Surely this is a deception to the travel industry.

The Tourism Minister and staff who have implemented these measures must face a stark reality. Compared to the past when there were far fewer countries with developed tourist facilities today there is far more choice for visitors and far more flights offered. If The Bahamas wants to stay competitive it must make it far easier to enter and the major current detriment to bookings which is the Health Visa must end now. Clients simply do not understand why they cannot just show proper proof of full vaccination at the airport check in and be then given their boarding pass. Our agents hear this every day so we are forced to book them to more welcoming destinations. In my agencies The Bahamas has now fallen to the lowest in bookings. I have always liked The Bahamas so I hope things will change immediately.

DAVID J MEYERS

Portland, Maine,

USA