The Tribune

• Sector wants workforce among first jabs

• Says govt recognises the ‘advantage’

• Hotel chief also backs vaccine passports

By NEIL HARTNELL

Tribune Business Editor

nhartnell@tribunemedia.net

The Bahamian tourism industry has advocated that sector workers be “among the top tier” to receive the COVID-19 vaccine in a bid to help kickstart the country’s economic revival.

Robert Sands, the Bahamas Hotel and Tourism Association’s (BHTA) president, last night told Tribune Business that the industry had been “encouraged” by the government’s response to its overtures with both sides viewing such a move as a potential “advantage” as vaccination drives gather momentum worldwide.

“We’ve certainly advocated that position,” he replied, when this newspaper asked whether the tourism industry was pushing for its workforce to be among the first vaccinated against the potentially lethal virus.

“The hotel industry has made its position known in that particular instance, and we’ve been encouraged by the response we have received from the authorities. I think they also recognise that will be an advantage.”

Mr Sands emphasised that the hotel and tourism sector were not seeking to jump ahead of anybody in the COVID-19 vaccination queue, adding that it supported front-line healthcare and emergency services workers - as well as those most vulnerable to the virus - leading the way.

He added, though, that The Bahamas’ largest industry wanted its workforce to be “certainly amongst those in the top tier to receive it, and we are satisfied they [the government] have heard our request and are giving it very considerable attention. In our opinion, and the opinion of the government, it would make sense”.

Having a tourism workforce fully vaccinated against COVID-19 is potentially a key factor in jump starting a sector upon which much of the Bahamian economy is almost totally dependent. The strength and pace of the country’s post-pandemic emergence has always rested on tourism’s rebound since it is the prime employer, commerce centre and source of foreign exchange earnings.

A vaccinated tourism workforce could serve as a key element in efforts to market the destination to visitors post-COVID, as the absence of infection risk among staff and workers they will encounter could serve as a major boost to traveller confidence and encourage persons to return to The Bahamas.

This strategy, though, depends on The Bahamas rolling out its COVID-19 vaccinations faster, and more successfully, than Caribbean rivals and other competing tourism destinations. And efforts in this area have got off to a somewhat slow start based on the Prime Minister’s Sunday address.

Dr Hubert Minnis said the roll-out of its COVID-19 vaccination programme will not proceed as rapidly as previously announced, with only 20,000 doses of the Oxford-AstraZenenca vaccine expected in the country by today.

Last Friday, officials said these vaccines — a gift from the government of India — would have arrived in the country by Sunday. Due to “logistical issues overseas” the shipment was delayed until today.

Dr Minnis also said the government is expected to receive 33,600 doses out of 100,800 doses of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine, purchased through the World Health Organisation’s/Pan American Health Organisation’s COVAX facility, “before the end of March”. The remaining 64,200 doses should be in the country by the end of May.

Among those to first receive the vaccines will be healthcare workers in the public and private sectors; residents and staff of eldercare homes; and non-ambulatory residents registered in the public health system.

The number of vaccine doses acquired to-date will unlikely be sufficient to cover the entire tourism industry workforce, and there is also no guarantee that every worker will be willing to get vaccinated.

Mr Sands, meanwhile, last night also said the Bahamian hotel and tourism industry backed the introduction of so-called COVID-19 “vaccine passports” in a bid to make two-way travel involving The Bahamas easier.

However, he pointed out that The Bahamas and its major source markets such as the US, Canada and Europe will still far off from reaching the 70-80 percent vaccination threshold among their populations that is required to make “vaccine passports” effective as a potential replacement for existing border testing measures.

“I think we are prepared to consider that,” Mr Sands said of vaccine passports, “but we recognise we’re still too far away from that happening because both the providing and receiving country must have at least 70 percent of the population vaccinated for this to be even considered as something that makes sense.

“The quicker the US and The Bahamas get to that point, it would make sense. The quicker we can get to that point and be able to avail ourselves of such an arrangement, the better we’ll be able to generate increasing tourism business.”

Mr Sands said vaccine passports, which would enable tourists and Bahamians to prove they have been vaccinated against COVID-19, were unlikely to prove “anything earth shattering” for this nation to deal with given that it is already well-versed in handling the immunisation requirements of other countries.

Dionisio D’Aguilar, minister of tourism and aviation, previously revealed the Government is “exploring” whether to adopt vaccine passports. Such a regime, if adopted, could facilitate the free flow of travel to and from The Bahamas by both locals and residents once global vaccination programmes achieve critical mass - a development that appears to be some months off yet.

Vaccine passports showing a person has been inoculated could also dramatically reduce the need for pre-arrival and in-country COVID-19 testing. Mr D’Aguilar confirmed to this newspaper: “I’ve just requested the Ministry of Tourism to explore that, explore what it’s all about and see whether we want to embrace that and morph into that proposed travel protocol.

“I’m having the technical people at the Ministry of Tourism review that, and see what the pros and cons are. It seems to be getting some traction in Europe and the Asian side, but I’m not sure it’s getting so much traction this side” of the Atlantic.

“I’ve read about it, seen it and want my technical team to see if it’s something we want to embrace, follow and be part of,” Mr D’Aguilar continued. “We’re looking at every possible way to facilitate travel and tourism to The Bahamas once we get on the other side of this pandemic.

“We have to study it, look at the advantages and disadvantages. If a number of countries are entertaining it, why? What do they find attractive about it? We will see if it’s something we want to embrace and work with. We are definitely looking at it, studying it, though our Bahamas Health Travel Visa is working quite well.

“We’ve settled into a groove, but it’s an impediment to travel and I continue to emphasise that all impediments to travel are not good.”