The Tribune

By YOURI KEMP

Tribune Business Reporter

ykemp@tribunemedia.net

Grand Bahama businesses are “optimistic” on the prospects the Carnival Cruise Line groundbreaking ceremony for its new port destination gives for the island, but say that the island needs one more huge investment for it to turn the fortunes of the residents.

Alfredo Bridgewater, owner/operator of Coco Nutz, told Tribune Business yesterday “it’s always good to hear positive news” for Grand Bahama as the island has been suffering for the better part of the last ten years with successive hurricanes and neglect from previous governments. However, it’s going to take a lot to turn Grand Bahama around and he hopes that the current Progressive Liberal Party has at least “one more” large project up their sleeve for the island.

He also said: “I’m hoping this island can turn around in three years, but these two projects along with the airport would be the top priorities now.”

Prime Minister Philip “Brave” Davis said at the launch ceremony: “The skills and confidence exercise in negotiating such a grand deal for Grand Bahama. The Grand Bahama economy is on its way up. The magic is returning to the Magic City. We fully expect the Carnival Cruise port to play a pivotal role in the reemergence of the Grand Bahama economy.”

He added: “The government of The Bahamas welcomes Carnival Cruise Lines $200m investment into Grand Bahama as a sign of true economic partnership with the island of Grand Bahama.”

Carnival’s new port destination is pegged to add 1,000 permanent jobs in Grand Bahama along with hundreds of constriction jobs, and having dealt with the economic blows of Hurricane Dorian and the COVID-19 pandemic where many Grand Bahamian businesses have still yet to recover, these jobs are a welcomed site.

Christine Duffy, president of Carnival Cruise Line, also said the cruise line is preparing for the addition of the Carnival Celebration ship coming on stream at the end of the year, she added: “Of course with this project, we are opening the doors to a new era of cruising in the Bahamas with Carnival. Our guests love The Bahamas and when this port is complete, I can assure you we will be coming back again and again.

“As I said to Giora (Israel, senior vice president for the Carnival Corporation) if you build it we will come. A million a year, Giora. So we are very proud at Carnival to be the leader in year round cruising to The Bahamas.”

Cassius Bowe, owner/operator of C&V Car Rental Company Limited, also said: “We’re definitely moving in the right direction in terms of the growth for the economy. I have heard there are more things that will be coming on stream.”

He also said: “I’m optimistic that all of these things can come to fruition and that a new day will be in Freeport.

“The airport is very vital. That’s the heart of the tourism product here on Grand Bahama. I just came from Nassau on Tuesday and the little makeshift airport we have cannot hold any large amount of people.”

The Grand Bahama International Airport is seen as the lynchpin for the Grand Bahama economy and has been in a state of disrepair after Hurricane Dorian, with some arguing that Hurricane Dorian just pushed it over the edge as little to no investment was being made into the GBIA for years prior.

“What they have to do is build it 15ft higher off of the ground to escape all of the flooding,” Mr Bowe asserted.