The Tribune

By Fay Simmons

Tribune Business Reporter

jsimmons@tribunemedia.net

The Nassau Cruise Port’s chief executive yesterday revealed it expects total passenger arrivals to grow by 27 percent in 2024 to strike a new record of 5.6m for the year.

Michael Maura, confirming that the port will hit 2019’s pre-COVID numbers “right out of the park”, said next year’s cruise passenger arrivals numbers are already expected to exceed 2023’s projected 4.4m figures by 1.2m.

He added that Nassau Cruise Port has already surpassed 2019’s 3.86m passenger arrivals, and said: “We had a very material milestone back on November 24, where we would have surpassed 3.86m passengers. We’d actually done 3.87m on that day or as of that day.

“We forecast that by the end of the year which you know, here we are, today is December 4, for the few weeks left in December we expect to finish the year close to 4.4m passengers, so we’re going to knock 2019 right out of the park.”

He added that Nassau Cruise Port is projecting over 5.6m arrivals next year as the facility’s $322m transformation has enabled it to accommodate more of the world’s largest cruise ships at any one time, thereby enabling it to drive increased passenger traffic.

Mr Maura said: “Our volumes forecast confirmed for 2024 put us well past 5.6m passengers for next year. So the investments that were made along our waterfront, the additional infrastructure, which has made this achievable, along with the very strong branding support, led by the Ministry of Tourism, has helped people get on ships and have their ships come to The Bahamas and visit Nassau specifically.

“As you’ll see today, we have Carnival’s Mardi Gras sitting on berth number five. So, again, that investment that we made on that with that sixth berth, allowing the biggest ships in the world to come, the Icon of the Seas, which is Royal Caribbean’s brand new ship and the largest cruise ship sailing on the waters today on this planet of ours, is going to be coming to Nassau in January.

“They can come to Nassau because of the investments that have been made here at Nassau Cruise Port.” Mr Maura said vendors at the Nassau Cruise Port have signalled visitor spending has increased, and he encouraged entrepreneurs to create products that visitors find appealing so that they can capitalise on the growing market.

He added: “I would say, based off the conversations that we’ve had with our taxi driver partners, tour operators, hair braiders and the different artists that work within the space, they have indicated that the spend is up and have indicated they’re doing very well.

“You know, the fact is that we have increased passenger volumes. I think it’s logical and reasonable to assume that if you’re bringing in a half a million more passengers, you’re going to have collectively more money being spent in our local economy.

“That said, it is incumbent upon us as entrepreneurs, as residents and citizens of our Bahamas, to create something that’s appealing to our visitors; where those visitors are going to reach into their pocket and want to spend,” Mr Maura continued.

“So that is something that we also have to focus on. We can drive the numbers. We are driving the numbers up, but we cannot sit on our laurels and expect that money to flow our way. We have to work for it.”

Mr Maura added: “I think overall vendors are very happy and supportive of what’s going. As we have discussed previously, our focus is trying to make as much as we can the Nassau Cruise Port area authentically Bahamian or something that’s unique to our Bahamas.

“Again, we’re dealing with visitors that have gone some place else prior to coming to Nassau in most cases, whether that is St Thomas, whether it’s Grand Cayman, whether it is St Croix, whether it’s Turks and Caicos. We don’t want to offer them exactly what they’ve already experienced. We want to give them something that is unique and special to us. And so that’s what we’re expecting of our operators within our space.”