The Tribune

By YOURI KEMP

Tribune Business Reporter

ykemp@tribunemedia.net

Hotel operators yesterday forecast that The Bahamas’ downgrade to “do not travel” status yet again by US health authorities will have little to no impact on travel demand.

Muna Issa, SuperClubs Breezes managing director, told Tribune Business that, while the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) decision to return The Bahamas to ‘Level 4’ status “may have a small effect”, this will be offset by COVID-19 “fatigue” among US travellers.

She added: “The levels have changed so many times in the last six weeks, the savvy traveller may not put much weight on the CDC ranking. The CDC ranking is just one aspect of what a tourist considers prior to travelling - testing requirements are another. I am hoping in the next two weeks the levels will decline significantly and bookings will pick up.”

More than 100 countries are on US federal health officials’ list of destinations to avoid because of the high risk presented by COVID-19 and the Omicron variant. The Bahamas was among 22 countries, including Australia, who were downgraded by the CDC to ‘Level 4’ on Tuesday.

Speaking to The Bahamas specifically, the CDC said: “Avoid travel to The Bahamas. If you must travel to The Bahamas, make sure you are fully vaccinated before travel.

“Because of the current situation in The Bahamas, even fully vaccinated travellers may be at risk for getting and spreading COVID-19 variants. Travellers should follow recommendations or requirements in The Bahamas, including wearing a mask and staying six feet apart from others.”

The Bahamas recorded a further 173 new COVID-19 cases on Tuesday, taking the total number of active cases to 7,314. Some 147 COVID positive patients are in the hospital, of whom eight are in intensive care.

Matthew Brear, general manager of Long Island’s Cape Santa Maria resort, said earlier ‘Level 4’ advisories had not hurt The Bahamas and he saw no reason why this latest warning will impact the willingness of travellers to come to the island.

He added: “I think a lot of the outer islands have a lot of regular clientele. They know where they’re going. Just because The Bahamas is raised to a ‘Level 4’, people will not stop going to Nassau or New Providence and, in my case, people are coming to Long Island where we have one case on the island currently, as opposed to however many cases are elsewhere in New Providence.”

Pointing out that Canada has a ‘Level 4’ ranking with the CDC, Mr Brear added: “The Bahamas isn’t the only place that’s struggling now. I don’t think this has anything to do with any one country’s reaction to COVID-19 spikes; I just think this has to do with the overall situation itself.

“It’s problematic right now but I don’t think it bears any negative press against The Bahamas. It’s just that Omicron has taken over right now. I can’t imagine the CDC ‘Level 4’ warning having a detrimental impact on our tourism business.”

Wesley Ferguson, the Bahamas Taxi Cab Union’s (BTCU) president, added: “People are just fed up with the CDC, and they are tired of these protocols along with the science behind the demographic of how this COVID-19 just keeps changing.

“America has the highest COVID-19 numbers and I don’t see anybody rating them. They are leading the world on this Omicron variant and I don’t see anybody rating them. People are still going to America.

“People are just tired of this thing and are just travelling, whether you tell them to travel or not, because if they have the money and are vaccinated they will take the chance and say that once they can survive in America they can survive in The Bahamas.”