The Tribune

By YOURI KEMP

Tribune Business Reporter

ykemp@tribunemedia.net

The deputy prime minister yesterday expressed hope that the British Colonial resort’s imminent February 15 closure “could be very short” if it quickly finds a replacement for the Hilton brand.

Chester Cooper, speaking ahead of the weekly Cabinet meeting, added that the property’s owner, China Construction America (CCA), will also likely recall many of the 130 workers it is set to terminate once a new operating/management company is secured.

“The owners of the Hilton, CCA, are speaking actively with other potential brands and management companies. Some of them are well known to all of us, and we will wait to see the outcome of those instructions,” he said.

“Suffice to say it is the intention of CCA to close the hotel on February 15 as has been announced and, at the same time, if they are able to secure a new management company swiftly, the closure period could be very short.

“So, we are hopeful that it works out and we will remain in touch with the owners of the property. They are our partners. They are committed to The Bahamas. They are also owners of other hotel properties nearby [The Pointe/Margaritaville].”

It is unclear why CCA has waited until the last minute to find a replacement brand/operating partner given that it would have known the agreement with the Hilton was due to expire on February 15.

And the Hilton’s departure is not necessarily the reason why the resort is closing. Both Darrin Woods, the Bahamas Hotel, Catering and Allied Workers Union’s (BHCAWU) president, and Robert Farquharson, the director of labour, previously said the resort’s management had blamed the closure on its poor performance and absence of any improvement in the foreseeable future.

The British Colonial is likely to have been hit hardest than most resort properties because it was focused heavily on the corporate market, especially the group-led meetings, incentives, conventions and events segment that has suffered more than any other tourism niche.

Besides the international segment, the resort’s local corporate business has also dried up as companies switch to meeting remotely via Zoom. Mr Cooper, though, held out hope that CCA may reverse the British Colonial’s closure by securing a new operating brand.

“Once they’re able to do that, then it’s very likely that they will recall most or all of the employees when they reopen. They will still need employees to run the property,” he added.

“To solve the issue, they need a manager, a brand and a network that they can go on and get guests to come to the property. And then, of course, the jobs will be available for qualified applicants. I won’t speak for them, but I am satisfied that they will recall some or most of the employees should that outcome happen.”

Mr Cooper said tourism numbers remain strong, and that The Bahamas “continues to lead the rebound in the Caribbean” while tracking slightly behind pre-pandemic levels.

He added: “But suffice to say our numbers are strong, and looking stronger moving forward. We continue to have five ships a day in the harbour in terms of cruise lines, and this is comforting given the perils recently in the cruise industry.

“But we’re seeing positive numbers. We’re hopeful that the CDC (Centres for Disease Control and Prevention) will re-look at the ratings very shortly. We’re seeing a significant drop in the number of new cases of COVID, as you know, and this is going to bode positively for our tourism rating.”

Mr Cooper cautioned, though: “In terms of the CDC and the tourism bookings moving forward, we did see an impact generally on the group bookings, as we anticipated, but the individual bookings are very, very strong.

“The weather in the US, the proximity to the US, the strength and resilience of our product, the warmth of our people, still plays very well when it comes to getting new visitors to our shores.”

Mr Cooper said there are investment projects involving mining and renewable energy, as well as tourism, that the National Economic Council (NEC) is considering currently for approval.