The Tribune

By YOURI KEMP

Tribune Business

Reporter

ykemp@tribunemedia.net

The Bahamas Charter Yacht Show will more than double in size for the upcoming 2022 event compared to its launch three years ago, the Association of Bahamas Marinas (ABM) president says.

Peter Maury told Tribune Business that next February’s Bahamas Charter Yacht Show will feature 45 yachts compared to the 19 that were present in 2019, with more scheduled to confirm their attendance in the coming months.

Mr Maury said: “This February the show is going to be spread out over several marinas and properties. It’s going to be bigger than the one we had in 2019, where it was split between two marinas at Bay Street Marina and the Yacht Haven, so we’ll just do a bigger version of that.”

The 2021 event was held in Fort Lauderdale due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The number of brokers participating has also grown from 30 to 120, and they will be split up into groups of 30 and sent to the various marinas participating in the Charter Show.

“We’ll have 30 brokers attend this marina and we’ll have another 30 attend that marina, and we’ll just shuffle them around to all of the various marinas,” Mr Maury added. Mechanics, technicians, and provisioning suppliers will also be featured. The formal announcement of the Bahamas Yacht Charter Show 2022 will be made at this year’s Fort Lauderdale Boat Show, which deputy prime minister, Chester Cooper, is expected to attend.

Concerns that have plagued the marina industry, such as the burdensome entry process for its clients, are being ironed out, said Mr Maury.

“We’ve had a real stumbling block with the entry process because it’s gotten waylaid with the Click2Clear, and then we have the travel visa. Then you have the Customs and the health declaration,” Mr Maury said.

“The permanent secretary and the deputy prime minister have an understanding of the implications of these entry processes, and are coming to the Fort Lauderdale Boat Show to see what’s happening, what’s new in the industry and what they can do to help Bahamian businesses.”

The Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show will be held from October 27-31.