By NEIL HARTNELL
Tribune Business Editor
nhartnell@tribunemedia.net
THE Ministry of Tourism's top official yesterday said The Bahamas is "firing on all cylinders" with the 4.8m total visitors for 2024's first five months beating last year's record pace.
Latia Duncombe, the tourism director-general, told the Andros Business Outlook conference that The Bahamas received some 821,334 air or higher-yielding stopover visitors for the five months to end-May with cruise passengers just shy of four million.
"For the period January to May this year, the islands of The Bahamas welcomed 4.8m visitors to our shores," she said. "In 2019, we celebrated. It was a banner year: 7.2m. We hit the roof. We were excited."
Recalling how Chester Cooper, deputy prime minister and minister of tourism, investments and aviation, had set a target to attract eight million visitors in 2023, Mrs Duncombe added: "We knocked it out of the park. We delivered collectively a target of 9.65m visitors to our shores in 2023.
"And 2024 is exceed- ing those numbers. We're really delighted about how this year is shaping up. It has to be all systems go; we are firing on all cylinders." Earlier, Leon Lundy, minister of state in the Prime Minister's Officer, said visitor arrivals to Andros were some 85 percent ahead of the last pre-COVID year in 2019.
"Andros has seen a steady increase in visitor arrivals over the past decade," the central and south Andros MP said. "According to recent statistics, the island welcomed over 17,000 tourists in 2023, a 10 percent increase over the previous year in 2022.
"When compared to the pre-pandemic levels of 2019, we saw an almost 85 percent increase last year from just over 9,000 visitors in 2019 to over 17,000 in 2023. This influx was predominantly from the US."
Mr Lundy said data from the Ministry of Tourism, Investments and Aviation showed that most US visitors to Andros came from the states of Florida, New York, Texas and Ohio. As for Canada, Ontario and Quebec are the island's most important visitor source markets.
March remains the strongest tourism month for Andros, and Mr Lundy added: "This has been the trend for the past 20 years, from 2003 to 2023. The primary reason tourists chose to travel to Andros was for vacation followed by wed- dings and honeymoons. We see the average length of stay is six days."
The minister questioned, though, whether Andros has sufficient wedding planners, musicians, disc jockeys (DJs), florists, hair stylists, make-up artists and transportation providers to adequately service the visitor market it is attracting.
Meanwhile, Mr Lundy said data provided by the Government's public procurement digital platform, Go Bonfire, showed that it was delivering "tangible benefits" including savings of $16.5m to Bahamian taxpayers on contract awards through May 2024. Some 6,377 vendors were registered with the portal through which some 4,177 bids, tenders and procurement opportunities have been offered.
Comments
IslandWarrior 4 months, 3 weeks ago
The persistent culture of corruption within Bahamian government institutions has severely eroded public confidence in the democratic process, the rule of law, and law enforcement. This issue is exacerbated by historical and frequent corruption allegations, including suspicious activities and recent governmental decisions that negatively impact the populace. A particularly troubling case involves the suspicious sale of an individual's boat, highlighting the lack of transparency and integrity in governmental processes. This incident, among many others, underscores a consistent pattern of misconduct that remains unaddressed by the authorities. The recent news article emphasizes the United States' concerns regarding The Bahamas' failure to investigate corruption allegations against immigration officers at the Carmichael Road Detention Centre. Despite maintaining a Tier 1 ranking in the US Trafficking in Persons Report, the country has not proactively screened for human trafficking among vulnerable communities in 2023. This reflects more profound issues of party affiliation, bias, and extensive corruption within these institutions. The United States acknowledges The Bahamas' efforts to investigate and prosecute suspected traffickers, identify victims, and raise awareness in vulnerable communities. However, persistent allegations of corruption and official complicity in trafficking crimes remain significant concerns. For instance, foreign sex trafficking victims reported that officers at the detention centre solicited bribes in exchange for their release, with the investigation remaining incomplete by the end of the reporting period. Additionally, reports indicate that some immigration officials may have solicited bribes from Haitian migrants to prevent detention, further highlighting the entrenched corruption within the immigration system. Recent comments from former Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis reveal further systemic issues. Dr Minnis warned that Bahamians would face increased costs to import goods via air freight from New Year's Day due to a $25 million outsourcing deal struck by the government with JDL. This agreement to transform the Government's air freight terminal has sparked fears among Bahamian courier companies of potential closures or layoffs. JDL's 40 cents per pound to scan imported air cargo for contraband increases air freight-related costs for Bahamian consumers amidst a cost of living crisis and imposes an upfront handling fee on couriers, exacerbating their financial strain. Further compounding the issue is the troubling pattern of police misconduct. Instances of police killing unarmed men and allegations of police stealing $5000 from a home add to the growing concerns.
Continue to the next page - under the reply:-
IslandWarrior 4 months, 3 weeks ago
...
These systemic issues are not isolated events but part of a broader culture of corruption and abuse of power. The police's failure to pursue complaints and investigate these matters further erodes public confidence in the justice system. The US government's recent highlighting of these problems underscores the need for comprehensive reform to address these deeply ingrained issues. In conclusion, the pervasive corruption and lack of accountability in Bahamian government institutions demand urgent attention and thorough reform. Addressing these systemic issues is essential to restoring public trust and ensuring fair treatment for all citizens. My personal experience supports the view that while the thought of vigilante justice is ever-present, it poses a grave risk of widespread violence and retribution. Therefore, substantial reforms are necessary to address the root causes of corruption and protect the rights and dignity of all Bahamians.
sheeprunner12 4 months, 3 weeks ago
Why are these MOT ppl still trying to sell this hollow idea that quantity is better than quality?
If we had 3 million stopover tourists, the country would have been making 2X the revenue that it's making compared to all of these millions of cruise tourists who do not spend shit on the ground.
This stupid PLP false hope gatta stop.
truetruebahamian 4 months, 3 weeks ago
Greater arrivals and departures, lesser returns. Also the stupid PLP additional airport taxes on aircraft arrival and departure is unconcienable and negative. Don’t get involved by bending over and paying these money grubbing crooks. No new taxes, fees, excises… Bull!
ExposedU2C 4 months, 3 weeks ago
Amen.
carltonr61 4 months, 3 weeks ago
That figure will double when the 147 million Cannabis users who travel to Florida, Mexico, UK, EU, Canada Jamaica
https://www.travelpulse.com/news/destin…
Grand Bahama Island will see an immediate resurgence in tourism due to location close to Florida, modern infrastructure, vast empty spaces and low social pressures. Cannabahamas has done the research. Brave is on the right track
moncurcool 4 months, 3 weeks ago
Do you realize that Colorado thought the same thing? Now with other states having their own industry people stop traveling and stayed in their own state.
Why would Floridians travel to GB when they can do it right in Florida?
Pipe dream?
carltonr61 4 months, 3 weeks ago
There has been some setbacks due to the Cannabis market being new. Jamaica saw years of international tourists in the milluons because of their down home music festivals, and else happened. But, Jamaicapure that made Jamaica a very successful tourist destination was denied access to the bloated North American markets. But The Bahamas, coming in from the rear sees the mistakes happening in this growing international and profitable niche tourist travel destinations industry. The PLP will deliver.
Sign in to comment
OpenID