The Tribune

By LEANDRA ROLLE

Tribune Staff Reporter

lrolle@tribunemedia.net

TOURISM arrivals grew by 66 per cent in July when compared to last year, Tourism Minister Chester Cooper revealed yesterday.

“Tourism is roaring,” Mr Cooper said while appearing as a guest on the 96.9FM show Morning Blend.

“We talk a lot about arrival numbers but I want to tell you that tourism spending is also up. Our average daily rates are up. Occupancy levels at hotels up and no matter how you measure it, we’re roaring back to the best of the best.”

“This is going to be, I predict, the best year ever for tourism.”

In Grand Bahama, he said visitor arrivals to the island are steadily growing.

“Grand Bahama is seeing better days,” Mr Cooper said. “Tourism is up in Grand Bahama, some 30 per cent and as you know, tourism is really the engine that drives the economy. Once you see the resurgence of tourism, you see low unemployment rates. You see a roaring economy. You see increased revenues and so really, this is the engine and I’m delighted to be part of this engine.”

He reiterated his expectation for tourism arrivals to exceed over eight million at year’s end.

He said average daily rates are up by some 60 percent, while room revenue increased by more than 42 percent.

“At the end of July, I can report that our numbers are up in terms of arrivals - 66 percent over last year so these are some really powerful numbers,” Mr Cooper added.

“We want our tourists to spend more, we want them to keep coming. We want them to be repeat visitors and, therefore, what we’re doing is also improving the product. What you see in downtown Nassau is a part of a consolidated approach to improve the product and more experiences for guests.”

He said efforts are underway to address vagrancy downtown and to deal with “rodent issues.”

With respect to the government’s demotion exercises, he said some six derelict buildings have been removed.

Asked about the government’s overall plan for Downtown, Mr Cooper said the first step is to beautify the area.

“So everything we’re doing at the moment is really trying to give the place a facelift, making sure it looks better, making sure it smells better, making sure the rodents are gone, making sure we are compassionately assisting the vagrants, making sure that the police have also engaged one of our partners to ensure an even more safe environment.”

“So, that’s phase one.”

He said officials are also planning to advance the government’s Incubation Centre Project.

“So we are looking to see how we can do murals working along with the creative arts community, the deputy prime minister added. “We are talking with some entrepreneurs about creating a new vibrant food market on the east side of East Street and we are talking a lot about a potential art district.”

“But what we are focused on is creating entrepreneurs, making small entrepreneurs, medium sized entrepreneurs, large entrepreneurs so we are also closing off market slope - that’s the street right on the side of the straw market and we are creating more high end creatively designed booths, right there with a very native Bahamian theme and openly creating more vendor opportunities for entrepreneurs for authentically Bahamian services.”