EDITOR, The Tribune.
Alarm bells are ringing at the travel agencies which I operate in Columbus and the southern Ohio area. We are not getting bookings for The Bahamas. After years when your country was a major destination for our clients, even in July and August, there appears now to be little interest.
All the cumbersome entry requirements and the unworkable five-day entry from test combined with your Health Visa have all but killed off any interest during the past year. Even now with visitors having to be fully vaccinated to enter you are still persisting in having the Health Visa. Clients do not want to be bothered with all the forms, the expense for the Visa and scanning the information to Nassau and the uncertainties involved. There are so many other southern resorts we can send people with no hassles.
Following your Tourism Minister’s ongoing comments in The Tribune I wonder what research he and his staff have given to the promotion of tourism. It seems now that the Health Visa has essentially become a revenue producer for the government and private firms rather than a health necessity. His ongoing rosy forecasts of steady growth in tourist numbers will not be easily reached as long as the Health Visa remains.
You should be immediately going back to easy entry by simply showing passports at the immigration desk on arrival like nearly all other countries in the region. Proof of vaccination can be shown at airport check in counters for authority to travel. I feel sorry for all the Bahamians who are without work as a result not only of COVID-19 but the poorly conceived entry policies. These are seriously damaging your tourist business which is essential for the economy and well being of The Bahamas.
HOWARD J THORPE
Nassau,
July10, 2021.
Comments
Alan1 3 years, 4 months ago
I thoroughly agree with the letter writer. However will the Tourism Minister listen? He has stubbornly refused any changes to the harsh entry rules for a year now. We have seen the result of his misguided policies. Our tourism industry has almost collapsed as other countries take our visitors with more welcoming policies and far easier entry. Now that the Health Visa has become a money maker will common sense prevail over the greed of those involved with the administration of the Visa? Time will tell.
carltonr61 3 years, 4 months ago
It was their goal from the crack of the gate to monitized an illness for personal profit. We were invited or warned depends on whether in a crab cage you are either a privileged king crab or the lowly crabs below tugging it out. However mighty Competant One did mention his new normal on early 2020 along with New And Emerging Technology. Well health visa was poetically sold to us as a no cost venture which was a fat lie. It will kill tourism as the selfish digital king crabs only care about themselves as they cannibalize The Bahamas and the torusm golden egg. They have built a high mountain of billionaires dreams that are destined not to fall from. The official opposition has gone cotton mouth on the issue, guess their mouths are too stuffed with something. We suffer the greed and selfishness that holds back most African nations and petty Banana Republics by our failure to be accountable through lack of freedom of information, that alone will kill the murderous health visa.
baclarke 3 years, 4 months ago
Mr Thorpe, we apologize for our incompetent leadership and their money making "health visa" scheme. We are going to vote them out of office. However, while the health visa is an issue, the bigger issue is the expensive PCR test requirement. We should change this to the rapid antigen test like other countries are doing and still test everyone due to the variants that even the vaccinated can pick up. So remove the visa, but keep the requirement for a rapid antigen test which can be easily shown during travel.
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